ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›S›stifle
ISEE/SSATmedium
stifle
to suppress or hold back a feeling, sound, or action
Synonyms
- suppress
- smother
- muffle
Antonyms
- encourage
- release
- unleash
stifle in a sentence
She had to stifle a laugh during the solemn ceremony.
New regulations threatened to stifle small businesses just as they were beginning to recover from the slow economy.
Where it comes from
From Old French estouffer 'to smother, choke'
Memory hook
STIFLE sounds like 'STIFF-le' — going stiff because you can't let it out.
Read it in context
- The Queen's Paper Roads History