as in suffocating
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1
as in strangling
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
children should never play inside discarded appliances because they could become trapped and smother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifling
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in burying
to defeat by a large margin
the soccer team smothered their first few opponents in the championships, but lost narrowly in the final round
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smothering
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2026
But UConn’s smothering defense forced five turnovers against the junior guard and limited the rest of her team to just 30 points.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
In the West, a smothering heat dome moved east after almost two weeks of record March temperatures; four spots in Arizona and California hit 112 degrees, and dozens of locations set heat records all the way to Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
—Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
And for only children—who believe that a sibling would mean the end of loneliness or a reduction in unwanted or smothering attention, an ally with whom to weather the storm—the wish to have one may be equally strong.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The spectacle lasted only a few minutes until twilight arrived, smothering everything in an elixir of violet.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
And that’s the exact advantage Mansfield Summit’s smothering defense created in the Class 5A Division II state championship.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
The series centers on Bode (Max Thieriot), an ex-con who finds redemption and purpose while smothering flames with the Cal Fire program.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
This list includes invasive species that spread across the landscape, smothering everything in their path (like kudzu, of course), as well as fast-growing native species, like trumpet vine and Virginia creeper, which spread quickly and can become a nuisance in yards and gardens.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bagging clippings prevents smothering from long grass and offers mulch or compost material.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2026
But UConn’s smothering defense forced five turnovers against the junior guard and limited the rest of her team to just 30 points.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
In the West, a smothering heat dome moved east after almost two weeks of record March temperatures; four spots in Arizona and California hit 112 degrees, and dozens of locations set heat records all the way to Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
—Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
And for only children—who believe that a sibling would mean the end of loneliness or a reduction in unwanted or smothering attention, an ally with whom to weather the storm—the wish to have one may be equally strong.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The spectacle lasted only a few minutes until twilight arrived, smothering everything in an elixir of violet.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
And that’s the exact advantage Mansfield Summit’s smothering defense created in the Class 5A Division II state championship.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
The series centers on Bode (Max Thieriot), an ex-con who finds redemption and purpose while smothering flames with the Cal Fire program.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
This list includes invasive species that spread across the landscape, smothering everything in their path (like kudzu, of course), as well as fast-growing native species, like trumpet vine and Virginia creeper, which spread quickly and can become a nuisance in yards and gardens.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothering
Adjective
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Georgia will surely be ready and focused on its home floor following two consecutive losses, but Bucky Ball and its suffocating style from a fresh A&M team will be too much for the Bulldogs.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
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Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But in late February of this year, he was arrested for allegedly strangling his fiancée, and got charged with a felony and a misdemeanor.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
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Duckett was convicted and sentenced to death row in June 1988 for raping, strangling and drowning Teresa McAbee.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There are those, however, who do not see regulation as a stifling force.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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From there, the house unfolds via a traditional footprint that somehow feels soft and inviting instead of stifling.—
Miriam Schwartz,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These are Chinese, of course, and are made by coating duck eggs in a paste of salt, wood ash, lime, and black tea and burying them among rice husks in huge ceramic jars for 100 days.—
Jeffrey Steingarten,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
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For the tribe, its main objective is to repatriate the remains of their ancestors — a process that often involves gathering the remains and artifacts and burying them together in a spot on the site that cannot be disturbed.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The music was sufficiently groovy, the costumes era-appropriate (miniskirts, Travolta-tight slacks), yet nothing conjured the tension of an oppressive August day—and nobody broke a sweat.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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Many observers, including Iranians in the diaspora, hoped for the collapse of the oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran and a decisive end to its nuclear program and military reach.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The man alerted jail deputies that his cellmate, 35-year-old Vincent Chacon, was choking and needed help in the early morning of June 30, according to a probable cause affidavit.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In this study, scientists determined that combining FAK-inhibiting drugs with immunotherapy and chemotherapy yielded the best results in mice in suppressing tumor growth, attracting tumor-fighting immune cells and extending survival.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Eggs Protein is more satiating than fat or carbohydrates, and your body absorbs protein from eggs particularly well, stimulating PYY and GLP-1, while suppressing ghrelin.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That would involve changing some state laws, persuading housing lenders to be more accommodating and overcoming resistance from construction unions.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
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There is power in prevention, which makes overcoming these obstacles crucial.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothering. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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