Synonyms for stifle
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Smother — to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
smother, suppress, repress, quell, dampen, stop, inhibit, squelch, restrain, hinder, impede, destroy, can, quench, deaden, subdue, check, throttle, extinguish, curb US, withhold, hold back
2. Muffle — to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium
muffle, silence, muzzle, still, hush, quieten UK IE, hush up informal, quiet, dull, mute, damp
3. Suffocate — to die of suffocation
suffocate, choke, choke out, asphyxiate, scomfish dated UK
4. Hide away — to prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress
Definitions
- v. 1
To make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium.
- v. 2
To keep in, hold back, or repress (something).
The army stifled the rebellion.
- v. 3
To prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress.
- v. 4
To die of suffocation.
Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday’s fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom.
Forms
- Past participle
- stifled
e.g. stifled → smother'd, suppressed, repressed, quelled…
Example sentences
- suppress It was very hard for her to suppress her emotions.
- quell The authorities sent in troops to quell the riot.
- smother My sister likes to smother her toasts in butter.
- repress He tried to to repress his anger during the meeting.
- silence We were awed into silence when we heard the story.
- muffle Sami used a pillow to muffle the sound of his gun.
By length
- 3 letters
- can1, gag1
- 4 letters
- stop1, dull1, curb1, mute1, veil1, damp1, hush1
- 5 letters
- still1, check1, quiet2, burke1, choke1, quell1
- 6 letters
- hinder2, muzzle2, occult2, impede2, subdue2, quench1, dampen2, muffle2, deaden2
- 7 letters
- destroy2, silence2, inhibit3, smother2, repress2, secrete2, squelch1, quieten
- 8 letters
- suppress2, throttle2, restrain2, withhold2, strangle2, scomfish
- 9 letters
- suffocate3
- 10 letters
- extinguish3, asphyxiate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (quiet2 = 2 syllables).