smothering 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of smotheringnext
as in suffocating

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

smothering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of smother
1
as in strangling
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifling
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 burying
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothering
  1. suffocating
  2. strangling
  3. stifling
  4. oppressive
  5. choking
  6. suppressing
  7. drowning
  8. swallowing
Adjective
  • Still, a similar result ends Patterson Mill’s season, while Perryville and its suffocating defense move on.
    Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 23 Nov. 2024
  • What might feel supportive to one person could feel suffocating or unhelpful to another.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Definition of suffocating
Verb
  • During an interview with detectives, Lambeth admitted to punching, stomping and strangling Howells, court documents stated.
    Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
  • He was found guilty of raping the child and strangling her with chicken wire.
    Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of strangling
Verb
  • But those constraints can be stifling, often forcing advertisers to stick to predictable storytelling beats that have worked in the past, resulting in ads that can feel generic.
    Anne Marie Nelson-Bogle, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • At the same time, maintaining strong security without stifling innovation is always a pressing concern for both organizations and governments.
    Rizwan Jan, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of stifling
Adjective
  • The ongoing siege at the Argentine embassy in Caracas is a stark reminder of the oppressive lengths to which Nicolás Maduro’s regime will go to silence dissent.
    David Smolansky, National Review, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The film embraces heroism in the face of an oppressive regime, the strength of fraternal ties and the themes of love, betrayal, morality and hope.
    Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of oppressive
Verb
  • Meanwhile, California is choking on its affordability crisis.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • If the premise is correct that payroll and benefits costs are starting to strangle higher education providers, the first step in restoring free breathing is knowing what’s choking you.
    Derek Newton, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of choking
Verb
  • In this way, Bon upends conventional thought to ask what if concrete infrastructure supports nature rather than suppressing it?
    Tom Teicholz, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
  • This legislation would ensure defendants can quickly end meritless, speech-suppressing lawsuits in federal court and recover their legal costs.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • The more vigorous the struggle to escape, the more debt that consumes the drowning victim.
    Forrest Claypool, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2024
  • For instance, children who remember a previous death by drowning may hold a fear of swimming in the present day.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • Bird flu symptoms in humans include typical flu-like symptoms such as eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, trouble swallowing or fever.
    Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The longest ever captured in Florida measured 19 feet, and biologists have documented a 16-foot snake swallowing a 77-pound deer.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 7 Dec. 2024
Definition of swallowing
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 smothering

smothered

smothering

smothers

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Cite this Entry

“Smothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothering. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on smothering

Nglish: Translation of smothering for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of smothering for Arabic Speakers

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