SMOTHER Synonyms: 147 Similar and Opposite Words

smother 1 of 2

verb

ˈsmə-t͟hər

Definition of smother

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

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

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

smother

2 of 2

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

Verb

Officials spotted the ball 1 1/2 yards from the goal line and UCLA’s defense smothered rusher Jordon Davison to thwart the Ducks' second chance. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Top with reserved hazelnuts and press in gently to adhere (surface will be smothered with nuts). — Tanya Bush, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026

Noun

Cardboard or newspaper layers can be placed under mulch to further smother weeds and enrich the soil. — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 13 May 2026 The evergreen vines carpet forest floors and smother native wildflowers year-round. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smother

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smother

Verb

Michael MacIvor was hit in the back of the head with a blunt object and kicked in the midsection before being strangled.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Wandering further afield, Wright recounts the case of Walker Railey, a Methodist minister accused of strangling his wife and leaving her in a vegetative state.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of strangle

Verb

Debt acts as a ceiling on private investment, further stifling growth.

— Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The weather served up truly stifling heat, including a stretch of highs in the mid-90s, and a few days of air quality emergency due to wildfire smoke drifting across the upper Midwest.

— Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of stifle

Verb

Bill Snyder’s second-greatest football achievement as Kansas State’s legendary head coach, after magically transforming the nation’s most moribund program into a national contender, was to choke the life from his school’s biggest rivalry game.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Among those arrested were individuals accused of choking their partners and assaulting their children, the sheriff’s office said.

— Tanya Babbar, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

Optional filters can be slotted in each module (when available) to suppress city lighting, adjust for solar imagery, and cater for different wavelengths.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
But Uthmeier contends an overly broad reading of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause has been twisted into a tool to suppress Christians and other believers.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

For now, the study identifies a previously underappreciated part of the immune system that could help overcome one of SCLC’s most persistent defenses.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
But Gordon has emerged as Miami’s clear lead back, capable of overcoming a poor situation.

— Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Noun

Tall thunderstorm clouds will be affected by those changing winds and rotate.

— Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Other parts of government already contract out rocket launches, cloud storage, satellite intelligence and artificial-intelligence analysis to the tech sector.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of cloud

Browse Nearby Words

smote

smother

smothered

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Style

“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of smother

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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