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

Open for breakfast and lunch, the eatery sticks largely to the classics—think omelets, pancakes, eggs Benedict, and plenty of biscuits, best enjoyed smothered in gravy, of course. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026 While Gasper torched the Marlins at the plate, Payton Tolle smothered the Fish from the mound, at least for a while. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 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

Prosecutors allege Clancy planned the killings by sending her husband to pick up takeout food and medicine, then, while he was gone, strangled the children with exercise bands.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Her body was discovered by children and had stab wounds, severe head injuries and injuries consistent with strangling.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of strangle

Verb

Fresh off a walk-off loss the day before, Dave Roberts was asked about his team’s recent play and couldn’t stifle a yawn.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 31 Aug. 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 stifle

Verb

Back in 2015, Parton and her team buried a chestnut box filled with physical copies of a brand new song in two formats, cassette and CD, along with their corresponding players, under her Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Prior research had shown that cotton strips could also be used to assess decomposition, so why not engage in a bit of citizen science and ask volunteers to bury cotton underpants for a couple of months, then dig them up and record the results?

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of bury

Noun

Because this threshold sits far beyond the operational temperatures of the core, the coolant cannot flash into steam.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
The Daily Dividend Bitcoin jumped above the $81,000 mark on Tuesday, the latest sign that the crypto rally is picking up steam.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of steam

Verb

Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Both victims were illegally choked to death by white police officers.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

This isn’t a matter of suppressing your emotions, which research has proven doesn't work.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
In one of the findings, bat houses — artificial roosts in urban environments, similar to nest boxes for birds — were doing their job helping to suppress pests on pecan farms in Texas.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

The Tar Heels’ ability to overcome some sloppiness — and, yes, take advantage of a slew of TCU mistakes — was a positive intangible sign after Belichick’s brutal debut season and offseason.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
But to overcome 30 years of Republican dominance, Talarico needs votes from everywhere.

— Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcome

Noun

The second jet, which was right behind, flew through a cloud of pink dust that shot up from the stadium roof as part of the pregame show.

— Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The most common type of cloud seeding used in the United States is almost all done in Western states, according to University of Illinois emeritus professor of climate, meteorology and atmospheric sciences Robert Rauber.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smother

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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