Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions
Trivia Time
Which saying means to forcefully stifle something?

stifle

[stahy-fuhl] / ˈstaΙͺ fΙ™l /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“I will never stifle the growth of technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution,” Trump said on Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

But a lack of actuators and other components could stifle those designs, experts like Cardenas say.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Trying to stifle anger over this may be the single most common topic in Christian marital advice content.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

The US is not going to "stifle the growth of something that will be bigger than the industrial revolution," he added.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

I feel a flare of anger^-how many things is he going to keep from me?—and try to stifle it.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

A new hurricane season record is likely to be set this week as a historic and still strengthening El Niño stifles tropical development in the Atlantic.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

A powerful military gives the country global influence but stifles its economic and political modernization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The high pressure also stifles the sea breeze that can bring cooler ocean air onto land.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026

And earlier this year, a jury found that Live Nation was an illegal monopoly, following years of criticism that the company stifles competition and overcharges fans, but analysts say a breakup is unlikely.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

Ana Padva sits on his right, pulling a watch from her bag while she stifles a yawn.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

One silver lining is stifled cyclones in the North Atlantic as warm air rising off the Pacific generates high-altitude winds that blow east toward the tropical Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Ron spasms under his desk, stifled by the small space; a colleague dries a co-worker’s hair with a piece of paper after blowing bubbles in it; Ron does the loudest meal prep you’ll ever hear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Shorn of the suspended Ramsey and Davies, Wales were stifled by their canny opponents, who secured a 2-0 win with second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a gateway into a pastoral ideal that still exists in living memory, reviving parts of our imagination that maturity has stifled into dormancy.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

With a barely stifled sigh, I ducked into the small hall bathroom just off the kitchen and did a quick check of myself in the mirror.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

A good car balance should put Verstappen in a good place for a race that will be dominated by tyre degradation in the stifling heat, whether the threatened rain holds off or not.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Maybe that can feel stifling for some viewers.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Those were the kinds of stifling rallies that had defined the Dodgers’ offense earlier in the season, when they were scoring regularly in double digits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

When the power cuts out after dark in Vientiane, families wander outside to avoid the stifling heat indoors, using cell phones to light their way.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

My face goes hot, and it has nothing to do with the stifling kitchen.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray




Vocabulary lists containing stifle


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com