suppress
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to end something by using force, like stopping a protest or a rebellion.
to put an end to an activity or organization, typically through the use of authority or physical force.
Simple“The government used the army to suppress the rebellion in the northern provinces.”
In context“The authoritarian regime moved quickly to suppress the uprising, deploying riot police to clear the central square before dawn.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to try not to show an emotion or a physical reaction, like a laugh or a cough.
to consciously inhibit the expression of an emotion, impulse, or physiological reaction.
Simple“She had to suppress a smile when she saw his ridiculous hat.”
In context“During the solemn ceremony, he struggled to suppress a cough, fearing the noise would disrupt the silence of the cathedral.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
to prevent information or a book from being made public.
to prevent the publication, circulation, or disclosure of information or creative work.
Simple“The company tried to suppress the report about the safety flaws in their new car.”
In context“The intelligence agency attempted to suppress the leaked documents, citing national security concerns as the primary justification for the injunction.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
to legally prevent certain evidence from being used in a court case.
to exclude evidence from a trial, typically on the grounds that it was obtained illegally or is prejudicial.
Simple“The lawyer filed a motion to suppress the evidence because it was found without a warrant.”
In context“The defence attorney argued that the confession was coerced and moved to suppress it before the jury was empanelled.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
to reduce or get rid of unwanted electrical noise or frequencies.
to reduce the magnitude of a signal, frequency, or interference in an electronic system.
Simple“The new headphones use technology to suppress background noise.”
In context“The circuit was designed to suppress high-frequency interference that would otherwise degrade the clarity of the audio output.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
to stop an enemy from firing or moving by shooting at them.
to prevent the enemy from performing specific tasks, such as firing or observing, through the use of overwhelming force.
Simple“The soldiers fired at the building to suppress the enemy snipers.”
In context“The artillery unit was ordered to suppress the enemy's defensive positions to allow the infantry to advance across the open field.”
Synonyms
“Filmed on location at Treaty 1 Territory in Manitoba, Esther’s suppressed memories of her stolen life are shot through with lushness as they return, though they aren’t all happy.”
“The JAAC said Pakistani authorities were trying to suppress dissent and have detained scores of its supporters, who it said were ordinary Kashmiris.”
From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō (“press down or under”), from sub (“under”) + premō (“press”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.