smothers 1 of 2

verb

Definition of smothersnext
present tense third-person singular of smother
1
as in strangles
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 stifles
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 buries
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

smothers

2 of 2

noun

plural of smother
as in steams

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothers
  1. chokes
  2. swallows
  3. overwhelms
  4. beats
Verb
  • Again, Dylan absolutely chokes.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2024
  • There’s a moment in the second film that really chokes me up.
    Jenelle Riley, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024
Definition of chokes
Verb
  • Besides honey, no other food or drink should be given after a child swallows a battery.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
  • If a child swallows a battery, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia also warns against trying to induce vomiting, giving any medication, drinking milk or water or trying the Heimlich maneuver.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
Definition of swallows
Verb
  • The rapid pace of digital life overwhelms the nervous system, with constant news cycles, social media and comparison culture amplifying stress and anxiety.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Multitasking neutralizes efficiency, overwhelms your brain and causes fractured thinking and brain fatigue.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of overwhelms
Verb
  • This is plenty of power for a regular three-row, which beats some premium SUVs in smoothness and performance.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • In the event Pereira beats Ankalaev, the winner of Blachowicz-Ulberg would have the best case for a title shot of anyone in the division.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of beats
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near smothers

smothering

smothers

smudge

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Smothers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothers. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on smothers

Nglish: Translation of smothers for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of smothers for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...