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
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Victor used flags and banners meant to bring awareness to the hostages to smother flames that had consumed another marcher.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
At Ponty Bistro, the lamb had a nice char on the outside, and, like the poisson yassa, was smothered in sauce.
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
The Thunder are looking to smother Tyrese Haliburton and this high-flying Pacers offense.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Victor used flags and banners meant to bring awareness to the hostages to smother flames that had consumed another marcher.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Noun
Everyone in Cincinnati is suffering in the smothering heat and humidity this week.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
At Ponty Bistro, the lamb had a nice char on the outside, and, like the poisson yassa, was smothered in sauce.
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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Menzies was convicted of the 1986 murder of 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker, a married mother of three who was kidnapped, robbed, strangled, and found tied to a tree with her throat slit.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Most of the victims were strangled or asphyxiated, and Gacy buried 26 of the bodies in the crawl space beneath his home; others were found in Chicago waterways, per NPR.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Leave behind New York’s stifling policies and discover a state where your ambition can soar.—
Mike Dunleavy,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
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While luck will favor some and stifle others, here are a few tips on how join the first group: Be Loyal: Elite status with an airline can work wonders.—
Paula Conway,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, every attempt to create ethical walls and accountability at PURA have been quietly buried by those who benefit from the dysfunction.—
Timothy M. Herbst,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
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Where power lines are buried, flooding can also cause issues.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Two games later, Higashioka was packing up his locker and heading into free agency on the steam of a career-high 17 homers.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Throughout the movie, interspersed with shots of an exasperated Silverstone fending off her younger lover’s calls to her office and strutting through New York City streets in sky-high stilettos, are shots of Silverstone in gym clothes boxing with a personal trainer to blow off steam.—
Mara Santilli,
Flow Space,
4 July 2025
Verb
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For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
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As a result, millions more children and vulnerable people will be forced to choke on toxic fumes while manufacturing executives pour more money into dying steel plants.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Verb
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That same resolution created Palestine, which Israel has refused to recognize and has fought to suppress ever since.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 July 2025
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The building’s sprinkler system suppressed the flames before firefighters completed their operations, bringing the fire under control in under 30 minutes, officials said.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
Verb
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There can be ways to overcome the objections of the people who are concerned that new technology will make their jobs obsolete.—
Edward Segal,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Noun
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There are both federal regulations and state regulations for cloud seeding and other forms of weather modification.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
12 July 2025
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Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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