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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smother
Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2025
In the 10 wins in between, St. John’s imposed its will with a smothering, high-effort defense.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2024
Chase originally envisioned that Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) mother Livia (Nancy Marchand) would die at the end of season 1 by having Tony smother her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smother
Verb
Colorado’s most promising moment came from a Cole Bassett attempt in the first half that St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki smothered.
—Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2025
In the 10 wins in between, St. John’s imposed its will with a smothering, high-effort defense.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
Consider applying an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil after pruning to smother scale and insect eggs to the dormant roses.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2024
Chase originally envisioned that Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) mother Livia (Nancy Marchand) would die at the end of season 1 by having Tony smother her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother
Verb
-
Investigators couldn’t determine how many of them were killed, though at least one had been strangled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Apart from more details on the reserve, industry bigwigs (who’ve long complained that the Biden administration was strangling crypto) are looking forward to some basic regulatory guidance.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Trump claimed that these aggressive laws threatened to stifle the growth or competitiveness of US firms.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
17 Mar. 2025
-
With momentum clearly with the Blue Raiders out of the break, the stifling Panthers defense returned as the first quarter jitters ended.—
Brian Fabry,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Gaza’s health ministry said the toll was likely to rise with many people buried under rubble.—
Abeer Salman,
CNN,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Once a week or so, one of them takes a short helicopter ride to the northern slope of the Mauna Loa volcano – necessary because in 2022 an eruption buried more than a mile of the road in 30 feet of lava.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This serene sanctuary includes a luxurious couples’ suite, sauna, steam bath and outdoor spa cabanas, providing a tranquil retreat amid the island’s natural beauty.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Drummond stops choking Mark and backs off slowly, then smashes the pistol from Lorne’s hand.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Our beaches are full of these pieces of plastic that end up choking our marine life and polluting our waterways.—
Steve Padilla,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
So could a weight loss medication that blocks opiate receptors along with suppressing appetite be effective?—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Consider the scenario of deeper economic stagnation: a prolonged downturn could significantly delay the recovery of the housing sector, exacerbating affordability struggles, and suppressing new residential construction.—
Ali Hoss,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The plethora of pixels can’t overcome a noise-prone sensor, though, and its picture tends to be soft.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Professionals can take control of their careers by overcoming these challenges and embracing an entrepreneurial mindset.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Rest assured, there’s more than a silver lining in that gray cloud.—
Chris Carosa,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The lingering fumes of attention and magical aura somehow still surround the oddball Rodgers like the cloud of dirt around Pig-Pen in the Peanuts comic strip.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share