1
as in to strangle
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bury
to defeat by a large margin
the soccer team smothered their first few opponents in the championships, but lost narrowly in the final round
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smother
George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
It’s smothered with American cheese and served with lettuce, tomato and griddled onion on a hoagie roll.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
Here, unable to transcend his previous work, the Englishman smothers the same performance in whinging self-regard.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
Trump lost in 2020 because voters, weary of a political diet consisting of huge dollops of turmoil smothered in a gravy of malice, thought Joe Biden promised tranquility.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
It’s smothered with American cheese and served with lettuce, tomato and griddled onion on a hoagie roll.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Applying dormant oil sprays can smother overwintering pest eggs for fruit trees or shrubs.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
Here, unable to transcend his previous work, the Englishman smothers the same performance in whinging self-regard.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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Earlier this year, audio was released from 2022, where Majors admitted to having strangled his partner at the time.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Holder was found strangled and stabbed in the throat at a coin laundry, just eight months before Acosta was killed.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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However, when leaders insist on perfect solutions, employees become reluctant to share ideas or take necessary risks, stifling innovation.—
Kara Dennison, SPHR, CPRW, EC,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Semiconductor stocks that have struggled on fears that tariffs could stifle demand for many consumer products and slow the economy also jumped.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Most of those minerals are currently buried beneath thick sheets of previously impenetrable ice.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
10 Apr. 2025
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Two to three weeks after burying the branch, check for new roots.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While no single creator is behind the movement, the trend gained steam in early 2025.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Members can experience steam rooms, saunas and cold plunges, the hydrotherapy circuit across the different club areas, altitude training, treatment at the wellness & recovery spa with trainers who specialize in flexibility and even red-light therapy.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This hazard, hard plastic, and many other physical hazards such as metal and rocks/stones can cause illness or injury to the consumer, including laceration, cuts to the tongue or gum, perforation, occlusion (choking), typically occurring immediately or shortly after consumption.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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Silva walked Mitchell down, shook off takedown attempts, hurt him on the feet, and masterfully choked him out.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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To tell the Blue Devils, basically, not to suppress their emotions.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Older, post-menopausal women are especially susceptible, since lower estrogen levels can lead to decreased levels of beneficial bacteria that suppress infection-causing bacteria.—
Alice Park,
TIME,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Republicans will need Democratic support to overcome a 60-vote threshold to be able to pass the bill in the Senate.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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Prior court decisions and guidance from the Department of Justice have set up hurdles to overcome before the court is forced to overpass a reporter’s privilege to protect sources.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But other places are gone, in a cloud of dust, and in their place are gleaming new things.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
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Later reports claimed that the plane had been hit by Russian shrapnel targeting Ukrainian drones, but the aircraft had already been struggling before the hit, having flown into a cloud of thick fog while losing satellite positioning data.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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