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.
It is the inverse of China’s “Great Firewall,” a sprawling regulatory and technological system that has stifled foreign competition and restricted the Chinese public’s access to information for more than two decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
“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
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
That has stifled competition with Uber’s own delivery service, costing it millions of dollars in revenue, Uber said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
She has stifled the pangs of conscience which had troubled her when she left de Grieux, and her passion of jewels and riches is as insatiable as ever.
From The Standard Operaglass Detailed Plots of One Hundred and Fifty-one Celebrated Operas by Charles Annesley
