<p><strong>Verb (used with object):</strong></p><ul><li>to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle free expression</li><li>to stifle a revolt; to stifle free expression</li><li>to suppress, curb, or withhold: to stifle a yawn</li><li>to kill by impeding respiration; smother</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used without object):</strong></p><ul><li>to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere</li><li>to become stifled or suffocated</li></ul>