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Which saying means to forcefully stifle something?

stifle

[stahy-fuhl] / ˈstaɪ fəl /


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:

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

He added, “I’m not going to stifle the growth of something that will be bigger than the Industrial Revolution.”

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

While the climate disturbance promotes cyclones in the Pacific, it can stifle them in the North Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 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

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

It is banned in thoroughbred racing and competitors in other disciplines are divided, with some saying it creates unrealistic expectations and stifles advances in breeding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

It is a blanket that warms but never stifles.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

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

It is the inverse of China’s “Great Firewall,” a sprawling regulatory and technological system that has stifled foreign competition and restricted the Chinese public’s access to information for more than two decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 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

While households’ debt-service burden has increased since pandemic lockdowns stifled spending, it remains lighter than at any point before the pandemic dating back to the 1980s.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

Audrey stifled a giggle as I nudged her.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

Those hardships are visible after sunset, when electricity fails, disappearing entire neighborhoods into stifling darkness.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 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

That’s creating a bottleneck at some firms, stifling not just promotions but preventing younger ambitious partners from getting bigger cases and juicier work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Next thing I am crashing through brambles, patches of briars, being lashed, stifling my cries against the whips of wicked branches.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads




Vocabulary lists containing stifle


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