1
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
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2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
he quickly smothered his inappropriate laughter at the funeral ceremony
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3
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
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Examples of smother in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Josh Chesler, SPIN, 23 Sep. 2024
If left unchecked, that algae can grow out of control, smothering reefs and preventing new corals from growing.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024
Steven Goff, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
Sediment smothers underwater life and clouds waters, preventing sunlight from reaching plants and animals, destroying ecosystems.
—Scott Dance, Washington Post, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for smother 
Verb
Weather Casualties With two days of smothering heat and humidity (particularly Friday), the medical tent stayed busy dealing with overheating and dehydration.
—Josh Chesler, SPIN, 23 Sep. 2024
If left unchecked, that algae can grow out of control, smothering reefs and preventing new corals from growing.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
Vargas thwarted Argentina again, making a diving save to smother Nicolás González’s one-timer.
—Steven Goff, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
Sediment smothers underwater life and clouds waters, preventing sunlight from reaching plants and animals, destroying ecosystems.
—Scott Dance, Washington Post, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for smother
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smother.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Smother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smother. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
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