Synonyms

suppress

American

[suh-pres] / səˈprɛs /

verb (used with object)

to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.).

to suppress the Communist and certain left-leaning parties.
to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.).
to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.).
to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.).
to stop or arrest (a flow, hemorrhage, cough, etc.).
to vanquish or subdue (a revolt, rebellion, etc.); quell; crush.
Genetics. to keep (a gene) from being expressed.

Let's say that future genetic engineers discover a gene for suicidal depression, and learn how to suppress the gene or adjust it.
Electricity. to reduce or eliminate (an irregular or undesired oscillation or frequency) in a circuit.

suppress British

/ səˈprɛs /

verb

to put an end to; prohibit
to hold in check; restrain

I was obliged to suppress a smile
to withhold from circulation or publication

to suppress seditious pamphlets
to stop the activities of; crush

to suppress a rebellion
electronics
1. to reduce or eliminate (unwanted oscillations) in a circuit
2. to eliminate (a particular frequency or group of frequencies) in a signal
psychiatry
1. to resist consciously (an idea or a desire entering one's mind)
2. to exercise self-control by preventing the expression of (certain desires) Compare repress

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of suppress

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English suppressen, from Latin suppressus (past participle of supprimere “to press down”), equivalent to sup- sup- + pressus ( see press ¹)

Explanation

To suppress something means to curb, inhibit, or even stop it. If the sound of your boss moving in his chair sounds like gas, you’re going to have to learn how to suppress your giggles. In the strictest sense, suppress means to put an end to something by force, like a government that suppresses the right to free speech by shutting down the newspapers or the military suppressing an uprising by rebel forces. But we also use suppress in less serious terms to describe an attempt to muffle or stifle something, such as suppressing a sneeze in a quiet theater or suppressing your true emotions to not cause a teary scene.

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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:

suppress suppresses suppressed suppressing

Kelanic told BBC Verify that any Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden "will suppress all international traffic not just Saudi-bound vessels".

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Cage, who wrote music to suppress his ego, had a problem with Ono’s exhibitionism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Officials have forecast a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year, which runs from June 1 to November 30, because of the return of El Nino conditions that suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

In a mouse model, the researchers tested lipid nanoparticles filled with genetic material designed to restore the body's ability to suppress tumor growth.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

They giggle again, and I suppress a groan.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

"I am fed up of going on stuff that masks and suppresses the symptoms rather than treating the actual problem," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Heat domes are large areas of high pressure, where sinking air suppresses development of precipitation and clouds, allowing heat to build up over days and weeks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Similar to its injection form, the tablets contain semaglutide that works by mimicking the actions of a natural hormone called GLP-1 that suppresses appetite and slows digestion to keep you feeling fuller and less hungry.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

Instead, the surrounding gravity effectively suppresses its influence, making it appear weak.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026

To my surprise, my brother suppresses his Erudite curiosity.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Pyziur also noted that oil prices have been suppressed in part because China slashed its own imports of oil.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

It also suppressed several other biological pathways associated with the progression of tauopathy.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

It also stressed the need for greater transparency around how social media works as "opaque algorithms and content moderation hampers the ability of young users to understand why certain content is recommended, suppressed or removed".

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The Schwab strategists began pondering this three years ago as what they called the “great moderation” era — two decades of disinflation, suppressed volatility and reduced supply shocks — was over.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

“And Latito, one very important thing,” Bull said, the hint of a suppressed smile stealing through the hard lines on his face.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

"The world to a lot of us is very loud, very noisy, very crowded, very bright, very smelly, and it's exhausting suppressing your response to all of this and carrying on."

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

That’s led to fears that the tax, in some ways, is making the affordability crisis worse by suppressing new supply.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

By suppressing PCSK9, the treatment helps cells absorb more cholesterol, reducing the amount circulating in the blood and limiting buildup in the arteries.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026

Maintaining the existing communication risks suppressing interest rates when inflation starts to rise and more volatile outcomes for financial markets if more aggressive corrective signaling is needed.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

And I can still see it now, the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread that one of us would accidentally brush against her.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023