stifle
verb (used with object)
to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle free expression.
has stifled
-
present perfectof stifle (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
“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
Bolivia has the world’s largest lithium deposits, which have been left untapped because of tight state control that has stifled investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
However, poor governance has stifled development in Cameroon, which ranked 140 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025
McDavid will somehow need to break through Florida’s stingy defense that has stifled opponents throughout the playoffs.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
There," said Ottmar, "spoke my dear kind-hearted Sylvester, who does not know the meaning of the word 'vanity,' that vanity which has stifled many a great and true talent.
From The Serapion Brethren. Vol. II by Ernst Theordor Wilhelm Hoffmann
