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

Instead of trying to suppress mosquito numbers, his approach releases both males and females carrying the same strain, so their eggs hatch normally but the bacteria spreads through the population.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

When the S&P 500 rises, these hedging flows can suppress further gains as market makers become sellers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

According to Kpler data, Beijing can comfortably suppress its crude imports for another six months, based on the rate it is drawing on its enormous stockpile of oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Stanford Medicine researchers have identified a naturally occurring molecule that may suppress appetite and reduce body weight in a way that resembles semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

I began to chew a hangnail to suppress my fury, but I stopped when I realized it wouldn’t look like I was singing.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Warming suppresses upwelling — which normally allows colder, deeper and nutrient-rich ocean water to rise closer to the surface.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 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

Borrowers who are highly qualified are often more likely to overpay because their lack of approval anxiety suppresses the motivation to comparison shop, according to the research.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 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

The cowboy next to him suppresses a smile.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Public shows of dissent have been suppressed by wartime censorship laws and can trigger hefty fines or long prison sentences.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

When used together, the compounds strongly suppressed Roseburia intestinalis and Parabacteroides merdae.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

The Writers Guild of America alleged in its complaint that the proposed merger is anticompetitive and would lead to fewer jobs and suppressed wages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Returning to the livingroom, Jean Louise found her uncle in a suppressed whirlwind of impatience, in vivid contrast to her father, who was standing casually with his hands in his pockets.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

As a result, she hid the condition from friends growing up and colleagues by either by suppressing the tics or releasing them when the person she was speaking with looked away.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

By suppressing their activity, OL reduced inflammatory and fibrotic changes in SFs.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

The logic was simple: If an unspoken rule is suppressing what fathers admit they want, naming the rule and waving it away should change their answers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Visa barriers and broader geopolitical concerns are suppressing international travel demand, the report said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

And New York State today has a most impressive record of containing and suppressing the disease.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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