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

People do not become Olympic gold medalists because they suppress impulses all day long.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

These GLP-1 injections suppress people's appetites, causing them to feel fuller sooner - but are not suitable for everyone and can have side effects.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

When an acetyl tag is added to BCL6, the protein loses its ability to suppress the cell-death genes downstream from it.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

As the Supreme Court has held, the government may not “use the power of the State to punish or suppress disfavored expression.”

From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026

I try to suppress a smile, but it’s hard.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Enveda said it found the drug by decoding the chemistry released by the body during intense physical activity, identifying a hormone that naturally suppresses appetite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Researchers found that active AHR signaling suppresses axon growth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

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

"I am fed up of going on stuff that masks and suppresses the symptoms rather than treating the actual problem," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The cowboy next to him suppresses a smile.

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

While the ketogenic diet promoted tumor development in the small intestine, it suppressed tumor formation in the colon.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Inspired by the museum’s Soviet Hippie collection, an archive that documents the suppressed Soviet subculture of the 1960s through photos, clothing and memorabilia, the workshops use historical events as foundations for creative prompts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

After discovering his suppressed memories, Cramer began teaching meditation classes for others seeking to unlock the mysteries of the mind.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

"Every time I looked at him on the page, I discovered something more. He's not somebody that broadcasts his feelings. He's suppressed them for such a long time."

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

All of those things were volcanic lava, finally erupting after ages of being suppressed.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

We all know what it feels like, even children recognize the feeling of effort, the effort of suppressing impulses.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

Lai’s office condemned acts carried out “with the aim of suppressing, threatening, or even harming advocates of freedom and democracy and their families,” Kuo said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

For the X-59 it's about suppressing sonic booms on a budget and nothing else.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

When he began practicing urology in the 1980s, the common misunderstanding was that testosterone injections caused prostate cancer, further suppressing research and treatment of testosterone deficiency.

From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2026

Izzi and I exchange another glance, and as preposterous as it is, I find I’m suppressing my laughter.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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