1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
unfortunately, the robbers were stifled when they got trapped in the airless bank vault
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stifle
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
But doing the same rituals day in and day out can start to feel stale, even stifling.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 27 Mar. 2026
The time was very much right to make a debut album, but the pressure to do so also was stifling.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit was one in a series of conservative grievances that Big Tech colluded with Democrats to stifle Republican views.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Miriam Schwartz, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
But doing the same rituals day in and day out can start to feel stale, even stifling.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 27 Mar. 2026
The time was very much right to make a debut album, but the pressure to do so also was stifling.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit was one in a series of conservative grievances that Big Tech colluded with Democrats to stifle Republican views.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stifle
Verb
-
The following month, a hit squad, reportedly acting on bin Salman’s orders, strangled Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist who had been critical of the regime, and used a bone saw to dismember his corpse.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Invasive vines like Virginia creeper, English ivy, and buckthorn can strangle trees, for example, and some aggressive trees may spread via underground suckers and roots.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The San Bernardino County Fire Department tested new technology on Monday designed to help suppress fires by using sound waves.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Acknowledge anxiety, sadness or grief with openness, instead of trying to suppress those feelings or fueling them with harsh self-criticism.—
J. David Creswell,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, attempts to muffle criticism have backfired, some observers believe.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Their calls are often muffled by static and wind because his cousin uses two phones to conduct them — one to call Fattahi and the other to reach his mother.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some victims were physically assaulted, including one person who was choked to the point of nearly losing consciousness, according to court documents.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Iran controls the Straits of Hormuz, trade — especially in vital oil — is choked, and the price of gas at the pump already exceeds $4 a gallon.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Duke swallowed an olive the size of my head.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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According to the notice, botulism can cause symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When his team returned to the deep-sea site, however, its brilliant colors were smothered under a blanket of fluffy gray scum.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Servers also handed out Impossible nuggets smothered in mustard, which vanished just as fast.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Trident and the Times/Herald made public records requests seeking any motions to repress the report.—
Lawrence Mower,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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The Trident and the Herald/Times made public records requests seeking any motions to repress the report.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Wave have been suffocating teams defensively, and that continued on Saturday night, with Chicago not recording a shot until the 70th minute.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Today, two small new volcanoes are growing out of its bay, and another one called Kolumbo — capable of producing fearsome tsunamis and clouds of suffocating gases — lurks underwater just offshore.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stifle. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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