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
Morgan Sullivan, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2025
Javadi winds up side by side with her mother, who continues to smother her even in the middle of this horror show.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025
Applying dormant oil sprays can smother overwintering pest eggs for fruit trees or shrubs.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
Lisa was also having intrusive thoughts, like seeing her child smothered under a blanket, him being ripped from her husband’s arms.
—Morgan Sullivan, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2025
Javadi winds up side by side with her mother, who continues to smother her even in the middle of this horror show.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Cardboard and newspapers can be used between rows to smother weeds.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025
Applying dormant oil sprays can smother overwintering pest eggs for fruit trees or shrubs.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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According to prosecutors, Stinnett briefly regained consciousness and tried to fight back before Montgomery strangled her to death.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Before police could arrest him, Jane Doe told deputies from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office about other times Betancourt battered and strangled her.—
Bay City News Service,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What is the Google hearing about? U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google has illegally exploited its dominance to squash competition and stifle innovation.—
Patrick Maguire,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2025
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In 2020, the Justice Department, joined by a group of states, accused Google of illegally stifling competition by paying the makers of web browsers and phones to set Google as their default search engine.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The election of a pope can be interrupted, not stopped The pope's funeral will end when his wooden coffin is taken in procession from St. Peter's Basilica to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the church in Rome where he will be buried.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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But Pope Francis chose to be buried in Rome, at the Basilica of St. Mary Major — about 2.5 miles away.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Interest in walkable communities appears to be picking up steam—TikTok videos on the subject have garnered millions of views, and resource tools like 15-Minute City and WalkScore are educating people about living in walkable cities.—
Julia Ries,
Health,
25 Apr. 2025
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As the museum picked up steam, Plant got a letter where 14 items from Diana’s collection were anonymously given to her for the museum.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Are there really women out there who want Badgley to put on his Joe Goldberg cap and choke them?—
Judy Berman,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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Southern California has been choked by smog since the mass adoption of the automobile.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The players argue the defendants have suppressed players’ earnings and other professional opportunities.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Weed Management in Walkways Just as cardboard can be used to smother out weeds to prepare soil for planting, it can also be used to suppress weeds that might be tempted to pop up in garden walkways.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Trailing 0-2, the Heat now faces a series deficit that not many NBA teams have overcome.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
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Not without its controversy, like life, the show has tried to demonstrate that family can overcome anything with love, laughter, and conversation.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Then, the dust cloud will reappear in the night sky toward the end of April.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Pregame The clouds are rolling into Fayetteville as Arkansas and Texas A&M players go through warmups.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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