1
2
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
the proprietor of the boarding house had apparently snuffed almost 50 old men before she was caught
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of snuffing
In these examples at the London Stadium, Yoro’s positioning initially cuts off the option to square a pass, pushing the player to have to keep the ball and shoot, before snuffing that out with a block.
—
Ian Irving, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Singleton perhaps should have taken the credit for snuffing out one of the league’s best and doing so on National Tight Ends Day, no less.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
From accidental black holes to worries that chemical experiments might suddenly freeze all Earth’s oceans, this is the story of concerns scientists are on the brink of discovering exotic, deadly new forms of matter or life that might quickly spread, snuffing us out.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 15 Sep. 2025
Sneaking up and snuffing an enemy requires engaging in CQC (close quarters combat), which lets players grab a bad guy to choke, interrogate, or outright body slam.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Ian Irving, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Singleton perhaps should have taken the credit for snuffing out one of the league’s best and doing so on National Tight Ends Day, no less.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
From accidental black holes to worries that chemical experiments might suddenly freeze all Earth’s oceans, this is the story of concerns scientists are on the brink of discovering exotic, deadly new forms of matter or life that might quickly spread, snuffing us out.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 15 Sep. 2025
Sneaking up and snuffing an enemy requires engaging in CQC (close quarters combat), which lets players grab a bad guy to choke, interrogate, or outright body slam.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snuffing
Verb
-
So does Soderbergh’s camera, which begins sniffing and roving about the space like a dog unleashed.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What happened Israel’s parliament on Monday gave final approval to legislation that makes death by hanging the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Israel’s parliament approved death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, making capital punishment the default sentence in military courts.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Just before Sunday’s collision, controllers were dealing with another plane that had declared an emergency after aborting a takeoff and smelling an odor on the plane.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Red, white and blue smoke shaped as an American flag hung in the air for a moment before quickly dissolving into a foul-smelling cloud that covered the ballpark and looked like a twisted tribute to, oh say, a military incursion.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative icon Charlie Kirk, have revealed who prosecutors intend to call to the stand and also asked the court to delay the preliminary hearing.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Hezbollah, for the longest time, was strong-arming other parties, and they are accused of assassinating a former Prime Minister.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When a degraded grassland returns to health, the ground heaves up, as if inhaling with relief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Humans are evolutionarily designed for hunting and gathering — not for lifting 50-pound boxes for eight hours straight or inhaling toxic dust in an industrial sanding booth.—
Vivek Ranadive,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Taylor, 35, has been slaying this award season, not only on the red carpet but also by earning an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress in Paul Thomas Anderson's action dramedy.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The 16-year-old son of slaying victim Yesenia Hall heard his mom’s screams from the bedroom of their third-floor apartment early Saturday.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Police detained a man after executing the search warrant.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The company cited rules against apps executing unreviewed code.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An unknown assailant shoots up the Vances' house during a Shabbat meal, before killing himself with a cyanide cigarette.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The measure passed, 363–117, killing the death penalty in France.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snuffing. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
