suppress
end opposition using force
to stop people from fighting, protesting, or resisting, usually by using power or force
to suppress [something]
- The government sent in troops to suppress the uprising.
- Security forces quickly suppressed the riot before it spread to other parts of the city.
- The regime used new emergency laws to suppress political opposition.
- The army was ordered to suppress any sign of public unrest.
- The police moved in to suppress the protest.
- The king used soldiers to suppress the rebellion.
- The new law was used to suppress workers who went on strike.
hold back feelings or reactions
to stop yourself from showing a feeling, desire, or reaction
to suppress [a feeling/reaction]
- She tried to suppress her anger and speak calmly.
- He could not suppress a smile when he heard the good news.
- They struggled to suppress their laughter during the serious meeting.
- I had to suppress the urge to shout at him.
- She suppressed her tears and stayed strong.
- He suppressed a laugh when his friend made a joke.
- I tried to suppress my fear and walk into the dark room.
hide or block information
to stop information, news, or evidence from being seen or known by other people
to suppress [information/evidence/news]
- The company was accused of suppressing evidence about the drug's side effects.
- Officials tried to suppress the report, but it was leaked to the press.
- The government attempted to suppress news of the corruption scandal.
- Lawyers argued that the police had illegally suppressed key documents.
- The leader tried to suppress the bad news before the election.
- They suppressed the report because it made the company look bad.
- The court found that the police had suppressed important evidence.
reduce or stop a process
to stop or greatly reduce something physical, like a cough, a signal, or the growth of a disease
to suppress [a process/symptom]
- This medication helps suppress your cough so you can sleep.
- Long-term use of steroids can suppress the immune system.
- The drug is designed to suppress tumor growth.
- Engineers installed special panels to suppress noise from the machinery.
- The doctor gave me pills to suppress my cough.
- Some drugs can suppress your appetite.
- Special walls are used to suppress sound in the studio.
- Base: suppress
- 3rd Person Singular: suppresses
- Present Participle: suppressing
- Past: suppressed
suppress a laugh
1hold back a laugh
to stop yourself from laughing out loud.
- They struggled to suppress a laugh during the serious speech.
- I had to suppress a laugh when my friend made a funny face in class.
suppress a report
1block publication of a report
to stop an official document, like a report, from being released to the public.
- Officials tried to suppress the report because it was politically sensitive.
- They claimed the minister had suppressed a report on climate risks.
suppress a smile
1try not to smile
to control your face so that you do not smile, or your smile is very small and hidden.
- She tried to suppress a smile when her son mispronounced the word.
- He managed to suppress a smile, not wanting to seem too pleased.
suppress dissent
1stop open disagreement
to stop people from speaking or acting against the government or leaders.
- The regime used strict laws to suppress dissent.
- Journalists claimed the new regulations were meant to suppress dissenting voices.
suppress evidence
1hide or block evidence
to keep evidence secret or stop it from being used in court or seen by the public.
- The company was accused of suppressing evidence about safety problems.
- The judge ruled that the police had illegally suppressed key evidence.
suppress the immune system
1weaken immune response
to make the body's natural defense system work less strongly.
- These drugs help prevent rejection by suppressing the immune system.
- Long-term stress can also suppress the immune system.
suppress the virus
1control or reduce a virus
to make a virus less active or stop it from growing and spreading.
- The new treatment can suppress the virus but not completely remove it.
- Strict public health measures were introduced to suppress the virus.
suppress the vote
1prevent people from voting
to use rules or actions to stop some people from voting or to make it harder for them to vote.
- Critics say the new ID law is designed to suppress the vote among young people.
- They accused local officials of trying to suppress the vote in minority neighborhoods.