How to Use stifle in a Sentence

stifle

1 of 2 verb
Definition of stiflenext
Synonyms for stiflenext
  • He was almost stifled by the smoke.
  • Students at the school are stifled by the pressure to score high on tests.
  • I wish we could go outside instead of stifling in this tiny room.
  • I had to stifle the desire to yell “Stop!”.
  • Too many regulations stifle innovation.
  • Who you've been taught to be may stifle your current true self.
    — Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2023
  • If the temperature in your home is stifling, stay low to the ground.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2023
  • Jurors choked back tears and stifled gasps as Deputy Dist.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
  • When we young guys came in for the afternoon shift, the clubhouse would be stifling.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Dec. 2023
  • Chaos reigned in the hall; to stifle it, Hitler climbed onto a chair and fired a pistol into the air, then scurried to the stage.
    — Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
  • His mother’s hands rose to cover much of her face, either to stifle tears or to hide them.
    — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 3 Nov. 2023
  • This would stifle exploration of the Red Planet until the late 2030s.
    — Christopher Wanjek, Scientific American, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Panicked and stuck, Frank stifled his pride and went to Soderbergh for advice.
    — Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
  • Press freedom and human rights groups say the approach is stifling speech and freedom of the media.
    — Mo Abbas, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2023
  • Even though the Bills got the ball to start overtime, the Jets defense stifled Allen and the Buffalo offense, forcing them to punt.
    — Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The Aztecs rely on a stifling defense to keep them in low-scoring games, but the offense is a mess overall.
    — Tanner McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2023
  • Oregon relied on defense and dominance in the paint to stifle Utah and win its 11th straight in the series.
    — oregonlive, 28 Jan. 2023
  • Montrose has a stifling defense of its own, with the Red Hawks allowing just 31.9 points/game.
    — Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 29 Feb. 2024
  • That game was one of the lowest scoring of the season for the Longhorns as the Cyclones defense was able to stifle the deep ball shooting and forced 13 turnovers.
    — Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2023
  • That stifled cry, which Izgil hears while waiting to complete yet another form, haunts the book.
    — Dan Keane, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023
  • The program has been denounced as a way for the government to stifle criticism.
    — Constant Méheut, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2024
  • And stifling for the minds of young people who need to learn how to look at things that are difficult and complicated.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
  • For millions of people in South and Southeast Asia, the stifling heat began long before the summer.
    — Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 18 July 2023
  • On that stifling May evening, fissure 17 was blasting like a cannon.
    — Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023
  • Farewell to the stifling unpleasantries of skinny jeans and the neoliberal past.
    — WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
  • What to Consider The polyester fabric might feel stifling in very hot climates.
    — Nancy Einhart, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2023
  • Some have alleged that this was to take advantage of the stifling heat of July to keep the picketing rabble at home.
    — Todd Robinson, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2023
  • Last month, Brazil was stifled by a dangerous heat wave that saw its heat index soar to 144 degrees.
    — Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
  • The veto is a blow to labor groups, who have long argued that the agreements hurt workers and stifle economic growth.
    — Maysoon Khan, Fortune, 25 Dec. 2023
  • Refuse to let anyone stifle your dreams or push you in a direction that doesn’t captivate your interest.
    — Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
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stifle

2 of 2 noun
  • Clyde the Belgian came to Hay Burr Inn with a stifle injury.
    — Denise Coffey, Courant Community, 19 Sep. 2017
  • If Pratt makes some big throws again, the Cougars will not be able to stack the box and stifle Cameron Carroll and company.
    — G Smith, NOLA.com, 7 Oct. 2020
  • The conditions and pitching did stifle the offense, but the action in the stands is thrilling.
    — Jason Hoffman, The Enquirer, 11 June 2021
  • But there are issues with the way B2Bs make and accept payments that stifle cash flow and hinder growth.
    — Justin Main, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021
  • The result is a product that relies more and more on the power play to score, the penalty kill to stifle and the goaltending to hold up.
    — Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, 29 Mar. 2021
  • Those factors form a matrix that can ignite or stifle blooms.
    — Tom Stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2021
  • Meanwhile, their backs forced turnover after turnover to stifle ATL’s forwards, holding them to a garbage-time try for their only points after the break.
    — Luca Evans, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2021
  • There’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism.
    — Emma Colton, Washington Examiner, 14 Dec. 2020
  • The government did not appear to prove its case that a bulked-up AT&T would harm consumers and stifle competition.
    — Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 20 May 2018
  • Epic claims that Apple’s App Store rules stifle competition and run afoul of antitrust law.
    — Katherine Riley, WSJ, 16 May 2021
  • Critics of the move saw it as an attempt to tighten control of information and stifle dissent.
    — New York Times, 29 July 2021
  • To further stifle excitement, Duggan warns ticketholders to not come to the city early.
    — Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2021
  • Critics said that change aimed to stifle shareholders’ voices.
    — Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
  • The intent is to block deals that stifle competition, which can lead to higher prices and lower-quality services.
    — Fred Schulte, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2022
  • Those who support Clearview in its legal wranglings are worried that a loss would stifle innovation.
    — New York Times, 18 Mar. 2021
  • Though Apple strongly denies it, some have alleged that the company uses its rules, or even the App Store search engine, to stifle competitors.
    — Steven Levy, Wired, 21 Aug. 2020
  • And the pressure to stifle outbreaks can make officials overzealous, prioritizing adherence to the rules no matter the cost.
    — Chris Buckley, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2022
  • Dunn calmly played through the Reign’s pressure when necessary, helped connect lines and constantly tracked back to stifle any potential danger.
    — Portland Timbers and Thorns Fc, oregonlive, 30 Apr. 2021
  • Even in a country that is known to stifle dissent, hundreds of demonstrators came out in St. Petersburg on Thursday, at great personal risk, to protest Putin’s invasion.
    — Philip Klein, National Review, 25 Feb. 2022
  • The pro-Williams crowd booed during the trophy ceremony before Serena wrapped her arm around a crying Osaka and told those jeering to stifle.
    — Terence Moore, Forbes, 2 June 2021
  • Both Riley and Swartzberg agree with what most public health experts now believe: mask mandates and social distancing have helped stifle influenza.
    — Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 25 May 2021
  • More recently, India turned to a colonial-era sedition law that had been used to imprison Mahatma Gandhi in 1922 to threaten civil society groups and stifle protests.
    — Mary Hui, Quartz, 9 Sep. 2020
  • Despite all these virtues, the mask has also been vilified as a symbol of unthinking obedience to authority and a tool to muzzle children and stifle dissent.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022
  • Brown, in an attempt to help stifle crime, last month proposed reassigning dozens of officers from the community safety teams to enforce anti-gang and narcotics units.
    — NBC News, 10 Oct. 2021
  • There is no option to un-install these apps, which, according to the CCI, undermines fair competition and stifle innovation.
    — Quartz, 27 Oct. 2022
  • Pahlavi employed secret police to torture and execute people and stifle dissent.
    — Amir Vahdat, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2021
  • This week’s word is stifle, which means to restrain or stop oneself from acting on, such as giving an immediate, emotional reaction.
    — Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press, 6 Jan. 2020
  • The coalition action is the latest head wind for Apple, which is under fire for allegedly wielding its power to thwart competitors and stifle innovation to serve its own bottom line.
    — Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2020
  • If Congress enacts Internet regulation to stifle innovation and suppress speech, then the customer will be thrown out of the castle, and tech companies will rule the kingdom.
    — Andrew Mercado, National Review, 10 June 2021
  • Although the law is aimed at outlawing acts like secession, subversion and terrorism, such charges are regularly used on the mainland to stifle dissent.
    — Time, 4 June 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stifle.' 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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