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.

Critics fear deep-sea mining will smother marine life with waste and the noise of heavy machinery will disrupt oceanic migrations.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

Those leaves will smother the grass as they insulate the ground and hold in moisture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

Johnny Rodriguez, vice mayor of Blythe, a community of about 18,000 on the eastern end of the monument, fears it will smother economic development in the area.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2025

These monstrosities will smother beaches and erase views of the sea, but they are not high enough to block another 2011-sized wave.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2024

This is accomplished by constantly cutting off the young shoots as soon as they appear above the soil, or by growing some crop that will smother them.

From The First Book of Farming by Goodrich, Charles Landon