stifled; stifling
ˈstī-f(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to withhold from circulation or expression
stifled our anger
b
: to cut off (the voice, the breath, etc.)
c
: deter, discourage
: to be or become unable to breathe easily
stifling in the heat
: the joint next above the hock in the hind leg of a quadruped (such as a horse or dog) corresponding to the human knee see horse illustration
Examples of stifle in a Sentence
Verb
trying to stifle a cry
I had to stifle the desire to yell “Stop!”.
Students at the school are stifled by the pressure to score high on tests.
Too many regulations stifle innovation.
something that stifles the growth of the plant
I wish we could go outside instead of stifling in this tiny room.
He was almost stifled by the smoke.
Recent Examples on the Web
Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Ventura described Combs’ psychological and physical abuse as ultimately demolishing her sense of self, stifling her career, and leading her to contemplate suicide.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
That could stifle advocacy, research, and direct services in reproductive health, refugee resettlement, environmental justice, or racial equity.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Those arrangements, the Justice Department and a group of states argued, along with Google’s Chrome browser being so closely tied to its search engine, stifled competition in the search market.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
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Verb
The intent, the critics have said, is in fact to stifle findings about the noxious content that is increasingly polluting social media and political discourse.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Ventura described Combs’ psychological and physical abuse as ultimately demolishing her sense of self, stifling her career, and leading her to contemplate suicide.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
That could stifle advocacy, research, and direct services in reproductive health, refugee resettlement, environmental justice, or racial equity.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Those arrangements, the Justice Department and a group of states argued, along with Google’s Chrome browser being so closely tied to its search engine, stifled competition in the search market.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stifle
Cite this Entry
“Stifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stifle. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
stifle
noun
sti·fle
ˈstī-fəl
: the joint next above the hock in the hind leg of a quadruped (as a horse) corresponding to the knee in humans
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