See smother in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II
verb
To stop the breathing of:
asphyxiate, choke, stifle, suffocate. See breathTo hold (something requiring an outlet) in check:
burke, choke (back), gag, hold back, hold down, hush (up), muffle, quench, repress, squelch, stifle, strangle, suppress, throttle. (Informal) sit on (or upon). See restraint
Learn more about smother