stifleverb
uk/ˈstaɪ.fəl/us/ˈstaɪ.fəl/stifle verb (NO AIR)
[ I or T ] to (cause to) be unable to breathe because you have no air:
He is said to have stifled his victim with a pillow.
We almost stifled in the heat of the city.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal physiology: breathing & stopping breathing
- aerobic respiration
- anaerobic
- asphyxia
- aspiration
- breath
- breathable
- breathe
- breathing
- gasp
- heave
- huff
- intake
- respiration
- respiratory
- sleep apnoea
- smother
- strangle
- strangulate
- suffocating
- winded
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stifle verb (PREVENT HAPPENING)
[ T ] to prevent something from happening, being expressed, or continuing:
She stifled a cough/yawn/scream/sneeze.
I don't know how I managed to stifle my anger.
We should be encouraging new ideas, not stifling them.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preventing and impeding
- avert
- avoid
- avoidable
- bar
- be a drag on sb/sth idiom
- block sth out
- blot
- bottleneck
- derail
- fireproof
- hold out on sb
- hold sb/sth back
- hold/keep sb/sth at bay idiom
- holding pattern
- impede
- prevention
- prevention is better than cure idiom
- preventive
- prohibit
- pull
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