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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

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

Ergo, they say, imposing additional guardrails would stifle free-market competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Even Rose had covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

The biggest reason for this is El Niño, which traditionally stifles activity in the Atlantic but brings a very active season in the eastern North Pacific.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Weintraub stares blankly, Wiatt stifles a yawn, and I can’t get a clear read on Wirtschafter, though he’s not screaming hallelujah.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 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

Today, Zabtia said, it is no longer censorship that stifles filmmaking in Libya, but an array of other challenges compounded by a lack of public support.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

And then he stifles a sob with the last shot.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

While Odebunmi was producing for Cleveland, the Cavaliers largely stifled Birmingham’s top offensive threat, wide receiver Paul Turner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

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

“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

There was moonlight, and there were streetlights, but the fog stifled everything, muted light and muffled sound and made the night shadowy and treacherous.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Scientists are as prone as anyone else to groupthink, and stifling dissent often produces disaster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

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

This time, New England’s defense should do a better job of stifling Aaron Rodgers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The afternoon heat was stifling upstairs, and the lamb’s wool I was using to stuff my oversize boots made my feet sweat.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan


Vocabulary lists containing stifle

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