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
ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
Seconds later, Kerry Condon and Damson Idris pop up from their seats and smother the smiling Spanish actor.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
The fish held up in crispiness over the course of the meal despite being smothered in togarashi sauce.
—Irene Milanez, Sacbee.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
The cloud may disorient and impair the vision of marine life that depend on sight to navigate or hunt for prey—or smother others.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
Seconds later, Kerry Condon and Damson Idris pop up from their seats and smother the smiling Spanish actor.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Noun
Never walk away while deep frying, and always keep a lid or fire blanket nearby to smother a potential fire.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
The fish held up in crispiness over the course of the meal despite being smothered in togarashi sauce.
—Irene Milanez, Sacbee.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
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But Iran perceived Trump’s ploy as nothing short of a bid to bring about regime change by strangling the country’s economy and degrading its state institutions to encourage popular rebellion.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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The indictment alleges that Fisher strangled Appleby and knowingly concealed her death by hiding or moving her body, Runty said.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Squashing or heavily stifling innovation in mental health is not the way we should be headed. Thoughtful and guarded adoption of AI is warranted and saluted.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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This has been the summer of (financial) discontent; a subject so evident and stifling that Emery had no choice but to refer to it in his programme notes.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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You were supposed to bury sentiment, cut the cord and fully inhabit your current, non-customizable uniform right down to your plain black cleats.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
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The very next possession, fellow punter Ryan Wright cleanly handled a snap and hold, and Reichard buried a 58 yarder.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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It is recommended to alternate between the steam and ice shower, which drops to a chilling 46 degrees.—
Spencer Whaley,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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The rope dyeing technique cuts water usage by up to 93 percent, along with significant reductions in steam (83 percent), greenhouse gas emissions (82 percent), electricity (72 percent), chemicals (24 percent), and indigo consumption (22 percent).—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Though so many clubs have choked on their own disco dust, the club-model actually works here, largely because the original home base, Maison Estelle, is still the toast of Mayfair, and artistic director Eiesha Pasricha understands how to create cool.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Use caution with toddlers who could choke on the kernels.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The air force said Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles into Ukraine, of which 30 drones and six missiles were intercepted or suppressed.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
19 Aug. 2025
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The warming can leap back without something to suppress it.—
Chris Mooney,
CNN Money,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pointing to a legal analysis weighing reasons why the FTC's antitrust claims might not hold up in court, Olson suggested that the FTC is unlikely to overcome constitutional protections and win its ad war on the merits.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
22 Aug. 2025
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The eventual winner will have to overcome astronomical odds of 1 in 292.2 million to win the Powerball jackpot.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But by Sunday, the clouds had cleared, and so had Scottie Scheffler's path to victory.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
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Morning clouds will help cap daytime heat in Central Florida on Sunday, Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Zach Covey said.—
Elainie Barraza,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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