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.

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

It has been a very nice piece of legislation for them, and it has stifled the kind of legal maturation that I was describing earlier.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2024

Some former board members, alumni and others charge that Oubré’s administration has stifled dissent and instilled a culture of fear.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2023

And a deeper ignorance, she adds, is one that is born of knowledge which has stifled the sense of beauty.

From Cobwebs of Thought by Arachne