stifle
verb (used with object)
to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle free expression.
were stifling
-
past progressiveof stifle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The credit bureaus complained that Fannie and Freddie were stifling competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
Kohnen said in the interview that Rush, OceanGate’s CEO, called him after reading the letter and told him that industry regulations were stifling innovation.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2023
They redefined the canon to include then-disreputable American genre pictures, created characters who articulated their own passions and opinions, and illustrated that the tried-and-true techniques of professional filmmaking were stifling and unnecessary.
From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2022
When he felt that executives were stifling his vision or encroaching onto his territory, he could fall into a rage.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2022
She spoke quietly; she didn’t declaim or raise her voice; and when a sob shook her, it was muffled almost into a hiccup, as if she were stifling her emotions for the sake of courtesy.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
