stifle
To stop something from coming out, such as a laugh or a yawn.
stifle in a sentence
- Ella stifled a giggle as the teacher's wig slipped sideways.
- Leo tried to stifle a huge yawn during Grandpa's very long slideshow of holiday photos.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to stifle?
- Arelease
- Bencourage
- Cfree
- Dstop
Show the answer
D: stop. The other three mean the opposite of stifle.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to stifle?
- Arelease
- Bsmother
- Cstop
- Dchoke
Show the answer
A: release. The other three mean nearly the same as stifle.
Words that mean something similar
stop, smother, choke
Words that mean the opposite
release, free, encourage
More words about movement & action
- stoop: To bend your body forwards and downwards.
- stride: To walk with long confident steps.
- submerge: To go or put completely under water.
- supple: Bending and moving easily without stiffness.
- surge: A sudden powerful rush forward.
- swift: Moving very quickly.
- tether: To tie an animal or object to something so it cannot move away.
- thrust: To push something suddenly and hard.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test