Suffocate and Smother

Suffocate

Suffocate verb - To be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air.
Usage example: the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

Smother is a synonym for suffocate in strangle topic. In some cases you can use "Smother" instead a verb "Suffocate", when it comes to topics like choke, moisten, breath. popular alternative

Nearby Words: suffocating, suffocation

Smother

Smother verb - To be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air.
Usage example: children should never play inside discarded appliances because they could become trapped and smother

Suffocate is a synonym for smother in strangle topic. You can use "Suffocate" instead a verb "Smother", if it concerns topics such as extinguish, moisten, breath. popular alternative

Nearby Words: smothered, smothering, smothery

Common collocations

flames suffocate flames smother flames
baby suffocate baby smother baby
people suffocate people smother people
husband suffocate husband smother husband
Other words: air, victim, prey, child, engine, victims, enemies, animals, Ariel.
Cite this Source
Smother and Suffocate. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/suffocate/smother
Suffocate & Smother. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/suffocate/smother>.
Smother or Suffocate. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/suffocate/smother.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "suffocate" and "smother" have occurred on timeline