1. to suppress or restrain something
Usage: third person singular present tense of ‘stifle’
2. to prevent someone from breathing freely or to suffocate
Usage: third person singular present tense of ‘stifle’

1. the joint in a horse’s hind leg between the femur and tibia
Usage: veterinary; plural form

Examples

• The oppressive heat stifles any desire to go outside.
• She stifles a yawn during the boring meeting.
• The thick smoke stifles the firefighters as they work.
• Overprotective parenting sometimes stifles a child’s independence.
• The veterinarian examined the horse’s injured stifles.
• He stifles his laughter when his friend trips.
• The humid air stifles everyone in the crowded room.