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sti·fle
 stifle
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- pronunciation:
- staI
f
 l
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb)
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
stifles, stifling, stifled |
| definition 1: |
to hold back; inhibit.
He stifled his laughter during the ceremony.- synonyms:
- check, inhibit, restrain
- antonyms:
- kindle
- similar words:
- constrain, contain, curb, mute, repress, restrict, smother, stay, still, suppress, throttle
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| definition 2: |
to end or quell by force; crush.
Government troops quickly stifled the uprising.- synonyms:
- put down, quash, quell
- antonyms:
- encourage, incite
- similar words:
- arrest, crush, end, extinguish, halt, quench, repress, snuff, squelch, stop, suppress, terminate, throttle, trample
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| definition 3: |
to kill by shutting off the air supply from; smother; suffocate.
Rubble from the explosion stifled them.- synonyms:
- choke, smother, suffocate
- similar words:
- asphyxiate, burke, garrote, strangle, throttle
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| related words: |
choke, damp, dampen, deaden, destroy, gag, gulp, kill, leash, muzzle, quiet, silence, stunt |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to die from lack of air.
Many earthquake victims stifled amid fallen debris.- synonyms:
- smother, suffocate
- similar words:
- asphyxiate, choke, gag
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| definition 2: |
to suffer from having to breathe impure or hot air.
We stifled in the hot classrooms without ventilation.- synonyms:
- stew, suffocate, swelter
- similar words:
- boil, gasp, pant, wither
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| derivation: |
stifler (n.) |
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