smothering 1 of 2

adjective

as in suffocating

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifling
to refrain from openly showing or uttering he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony

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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

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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 smothering
Verb
The scrutiny at the club is like no other, the media attention can be smothering and the level expected from fans is so high. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 This is typically done with a sod cutter, by smothering with cardboard or plastic, or with a nonselective herbicide. — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 21 Aug. 2026 In June, he is accused of smothering a 1-month-old kitten with a rag soaked in bleach. — Steven Yablonski, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out during dry spells, smothering parts of nearby Singapore and Malaysia in haze. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 Rodri, Spain’s captain and the anchor of the team’s smothering defense during its unbeaten World Cup run, won the Golden Ball award as the outstanding player of the tournament. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Argentina battled Spain’s smothering defense, but Messi was limited to just 15 touches during the first half, according to ESPN. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 The wildfires have also generated smothering smoke clouds across Canadian and US cities while inflicting hazardous air pollution upon more than 100 million people. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026 Until that breathtaking final 15 minutes, Egypt largely nullified this strategy by packing the centre themselves and smothering those central spaces. — Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smothering
  1. suffocating
  2. strangling
  3. stifling
  4. burying
  5. oppressive
  6. choking
  7. suppressing
  8. overcoming
Adjective
  • The Valkyries won their third straight game, defeating the Sparks 78-58 behind a suffocating defensive performance.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • The Fleet played a suffocating style of hockey, with a strong forecheck and the ability to wear down opponents with relentless offensive-zone pressure.
    — Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of suffocating
Verb
  • Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, doesn’t deny strangling her children in the basement of their home in 2023.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors allege Clancy planned the killings by sending her husband out on errands and then strangling the children with exercise bands while he was gone.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of strangling
Verb
  • The Democratic governor has acknowledged the challenge of adopting regulations that protect the public without going too far and potentially stifling the technology industry’s growth, which brings critical revenue to the state budget.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On Monday, facing the stifling defense of the second-place Golden State Valkyries, Miles shot three of twelve from the field and gave up four turnovers.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of stifling
Verb
  • In one southern Nepali district — Chitwan — authorities will resort to burying hundreds of unidentified bodies in a mass grave, local police told CNN.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The flooding inundated areas along the Trishuli River, burying some buildings and damaging bridges and roadways.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of burying
Adjective
  • In Atlanta, high temps are expected in the mid-90s on Friday, and the humidity will make the heat feel more oppressive.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Such tools for combating oppressive heat look prescient now, but Stierli isn’t impressed; Tropical Modernism was sensitive to the region’s climate but not to its culture.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Verb
  • Faux greenery eliminates plant-toxin concerns, but loose pieces can still become choking hazards or cause an intestinal blockage if swallowed.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • He was charged with three offenses, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentionally choking a person without consent and common assault.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of choking
Verb
  • Rather than suppressing appetite, the compound appears to boost energy expenditure, according to a study published in Science Advances.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Increasingly, the wildfires that most urgently need suppressing ignite in the interfaces between rural and urban areas, places smokejumpers were not originally intended to go.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • Curaçao went unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament before overcoming an early two-run deficit to the team from Henderson, Nevada.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of focusing on adventurous missions like PAW Patrol, Super Monsters emphasizes the more emotional aspects of childhood, like overcoming shyness, being a good friend, and learning from your mistakes.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcoming

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smothering
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Cite this Entry

“Smothering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smothering. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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