stifle
verb (used with object)
to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle free expression.
had stifled
-
past perfectof stifle.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Alan Kennedy, of Shepherd surveyors in Fraserburgh, said higher interest rates had "stifled market activity, though demand still exceeds supply in some sectors".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2023
Lunar New Year holiday trips inside China surged 74% from last year after authorities scrapped COVID-19 curbs that had stifled travel for three years, media reported on Saturday.
From Reuters ● Jan. 28, 2023
During the trial, Ms. Spector said that her husband had stifled her singing career and threatened her into signing a 1974 divorce settlement that forfeited all future record profits.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2022
Giants starter Alex Wood had stifled the Dodgers’ best efforts, limiting them to two hits, but they finally got to the bullpen for two singles in the seventh.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2021
At last, however, the papal sovereigns had stifled their feuds, that they might make common cause against the Reformers.
From The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan by Ellen Gould Harmon White
