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
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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
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Michael Tanzi, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison for the April 2000 kidnapping and strangling death of Janet Acosta, a production worker at The Miami Herald.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
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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Still, the move represents another case of leaders stifling the tools of the minority and deferring to Trump.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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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In March, the CDC buried a measles forecast that stressed the need for vaccinations, according to a report by ProPublica.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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While no single creator is behind the movement, the trend gained steam in early 2025.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
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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To soothe a sore throat, consider remedies like sucking on ice chips or lozenges (adults only; this is a choking hazard for young children), sipping warm beverages, gargling with salt water, or taking an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever.2 2.—
Lauren Schlanger,
Verywell Health,
3 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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The new, later Equal Pay Day marks a troubling reminder of how systemic barriers—ranging from occupational segregation to discrimination in hiring and promotion—continue to suppress the earning power of Black women.—
Jasmine Browley,
Essence,
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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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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