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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suppress
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
stifled a yawn
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 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
-
That’s a dynamic that strangled the labor market.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
-
As of March 23, 2026, the global energy market is no longer governed by the invisible hand of economics; it is being strangled by the rigid, non-negotiable laws of engineering.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 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
-
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
-
Indeed, attempts to muffle criticism have backfired, some observers believe.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
