stifle

¹ American  

[stahy-fuhl] / ˈstaɪ fəl /

verb (used with object)

stifled, stifling

1. to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle free expression.

   to stifle a revolt;

   to stifle free expression.

   Synonyms:

   put down , preclude , prevent , prevent

   Antonyms:

   encourage

2. to suppress, curb, or withhold.

   to stifle a yawn.

   Synonyms:

   check

   Antonyms:

   encourage

3. to kill by impeding respiration; smother.

   Synonyms:

   choke , strangle , suffocate

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verb (used without object)

stifled, stifling

1. to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.

2. to become stifled or suffocated.

stifle ² American  

[stahy-fuhl] / ˈstaɪ fəl /

noun

1. (in a horse or other quadruped) the joint between the femur and the tibia, corresponding anatomically to the human knee.

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stifle ¹ British  

/ ˈstaɪfəl /

verb

1. (tr) to smother or suppress

   stifle a cough

2. to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing

3. to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death

4. (tr) to crush or stamp out

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stifle ² British  

/ ˈstaɪfəl /

noun

1. the joint in the hind leg of a horse, dog, etc, between the femur and tibia

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Other Word Forms

• stifler noun

Etymology

Origin of stifle¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Old Norse stīfla “to stop up, dam,” akin to stīfr “stiff”

Origin of stifle²

1275–1325; Middle English < ?

Example Sentences

It has thwarted explorers and stifled merchants’ ambitions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Higher longer-duration borrowing rates, however, could keep the housing market on ice, stifle returns in the highflying tech sector and potentially point to a slowing labor market, plus a toxic brew of inflation.

From MarketWatch

"Jack della Maddalena has the skills to stifle Islam's game and put it on the feet and knock him out, might be second round, might be third."

From BBC

The rain could even end up being a helpful follow-up to the precipitation from the past few weeks to stifle the possibility of wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times

The EU faces significant pressure to water down or delay the implementation of the AI Act from tech companies and lobby groups, which say the rules add red tape and stifle innovation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• curb
• muzzle
• repress
• silence
• smother
• squelch
• strangle
• suffocate
• suppress