To stifle something means to hold it back or suppress it so completely that it can barely exist or function. When you stifle a yawn during a boring lecture, you're fighting to keep your mouth closed and your face normal, even though your body desperately wants to yawn. When you stifle a laugh during a serious moment, you're pressing your lips together and holding your breath, trying not to let the giggle escape.

The word often describes stopping something natural from happening. Heat can feel stifling on a humid summer day when the air is so thick and still that you can barely breathe comfortably. A teacher who stifles creativity might insist that every student solve a math problem the exact same way, never allowing anyone to try a different approach. Parents who stifle their children's independence might make every decision for them, never letting them learn to think for themselves.

You can also stifle things like conversation, innovation, or growth. When one person dominates every discussion, they stifle other voices. When too many rules exist, they can stifle creativity and experimentation. The word carries a sense of something being smothered or choked off, prevented from breathing or developing the way it naturally would. Whatever gets stifled doesn't just slow down: it gets trapped, held back, and unable to emerge or flourish.