Suppress means to stop something by force, to keep it from being known, or to hold a feeling back. To use suppress in a sentence, name what is being put down and, where it matters, who is doing it: “The regime suppressed the protests.” The verb is formal and transitive, so it always needs an object.
Suppress at a glance
- Suppress is a transitive verb; its forms are suppresses, suppressed and suppressing.
- Its senses cover force, concealment and restrained emotion.
- The dominant pattern is suppress + the thing being put down or hidden.
- Usual collocations are suppress a revolt, suppress evidence and suppress a smile.
- The commonest error is confusing suppress with repress, its close relative.
What does suppress mean?
Suppress is a transitive verb meaning to put an end to something by force, to prevent it from being expressed or known, or to hold back a feeling. The Cambridge entry for suppress records all three, and the table keeps them apart with a clear example.
| Sense | Plain meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Put down by force | End a revolt or disorder | Troops suppressed the uprising within a week. |
| Keep from being known | Prevent information from reaching the public | The company suppressed the safety report. |
| Hold a feeling back | Stop yourself expressing an emotion | He suppressed a laugh during the ceremony. |
| Slow a process (technical) | Reduce a reaction or response | The drug suppresses the immune response. |
One limitation is worth stating. Suppress carries an edge of force or concealment, so it is too strong for ordinary restraint. Where nobody is being forced, restrain an impulse is the gentler choice, and where the point is simply to stop something spreading, curb the growth is more measured.
How do you use suppress in a sentence?
Put the thing being put down directly after the verb, then add a place, a reason or a manner where it helps. Four patterns cover almost every real sentence, and the third is the one that catches learners.
| Pattern | Example | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| suppress + noun | The editor suppressed the story. | The plain transitive pattern with a single object. |
| suppress + noun + with / by + means | Police suppressed the crowd with water cannon. | Names how the action was carried out. |
| suppress + a feeling | She suppressed a yawn. | The emotion sense, usually with an indefinite article. |
| be suppressed | The findings were suppressed for years. | Passive, common when the agent is unknown. |
Where the act is about calm rather than force, quell a disturbance is softer and more specific, and where a feeling is released rather than held, express is the natural opposite.
Suppress in a sentence: examples across contexts
Suppress shifts its weight from physical force to quiet self-control. The nine sentences below keep the same verb while moving from a news desk to a clinic.
| Context | Example sentence | Why this works |
|---|---|---|
| News report | Officials moved to suppress the protests before dawn. | The force sense, in neutral reporting language. |
| Court writing | The defence argued that the report had been suppressed. | Passive voice suits an unknown or disputed agent. |
| Business | The firm was accused of suppressing unfavourable data. | The concealment sense with a specific object. |
| Everyday conversation | I could not suppress a grin when the cat sat on the notes. | The feeling sense, light and personal. |
| Medical writing | The treatment suppresses the immune system. | The technical sense with a precise object. |
| History essay | The crown suppressed dissent for a generation. | Abstract object and a long time frame. |
| HR email | Please do not suppress concerns during the review. | A courteous negative imperative in the workplace. |
| Sports | The league suppressed the footage of the incident. | Shows concealment by an institution. |
| Diary | She suppressed her anger and finished the meeting calmly. | Contrasts the held feeling with the outward action. |
Only the medical row is free of any moral charge. Everywhere else the verb implies that something should have been heard, seen or felt.
Suppress vs repress
Suppress and repress share a Latin root and a sense of holding something down, and the difference is mostly about whether the force is conscious and external or hidden and internal.
| Attribute | suppress | repress |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Put down or hold back openly | Keep down by control, often hidden |
| Typical object | A revolt, a report, a feeling | A population, a memory, a desire |
| Who acts | An authority, an editor, yourself | An authority, or the mind itself |
| Visibility | The act can be public | The act is often concealed |
| Register | Formal, neutral to critical | Formal, often psychological |
| Common pairing | suppress a smile | repress a memory |
Verdict: choose suppress for an open act of stopping or hiding something, and repress a feeling when the control is deeper and less visible.
Word forms and grammar of suppress
Suppress inflects regularly, and its noun and adjective appear often in news and science. The table also shows the two spellings learners mix up because they start the same way.
| Form | Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| suppress | verb, base form | They will suppress the findings. |
| suppresses | verb, third person singular | This drug suppresses the cough reflex. |
| suppressed | verb, past and past participle | He suppressed a sneeze. |
| suppressing | verb, present participle | She was suppressing her doubts. |
| suppression | noun | The suppression of the report caused outrage. |
| suppressed | adjective, as in a suppressed smile | A suppressed smile crossed her face. |
The noun suppression is the formal report word, and the past participle doubles as an adjective in phrases such as suppressed laughter.
Common mistakes with suppress
- Incorrect:
The government suppressed on the protests.Correct: The government suppressed the protests. Rule: Suppress is transitive and takes no preposition before its object. - Incorrect:
She suppressed the smile to laugh.Correct: She suppressed a smile. Rule: The object is the thing held back, not a following purpose clause. - Incorrect:
The findings repress the immune response.Correct: The findings suppress the immune response. Rule: Technical processes are suppressed, while people are repressed. - Incorrect:
He suppressed to speak.Correct: He held back and did not speak. Rule: Suppress needs a noun object and cannot stand alone before an infinitive. - Incorrect:
The company suppressed the workers striking.Correct: The company suppressed the strike. Rule: Use a noun for the event rather than a participle clause.
Practice using suppress
Work through the six items, then check the reasoning rather than only the answer.
- Fill the gap: The editor ______ the photograph to protect the source.
- Choose the better word: Her treatment (suppressed / expressed) the immune system.
- Correct the error: He suppressed from laughing.
- Build a sentence: use suppress with the object evidence about a cover-up.
- Spot the register: which suits a medical summary – the drug suppresses the reflex, or the drug shuts the reflex right up?
- Rewrite in the noun: They suppressed the report quietly. Use suppression.
Answers
- suppressed – the photograph is the object being kept back.
- suppressed – a technical process is suppressed, while express would mean the opposite.
- He suppressed a laugh – the verb needs a noun object, not from plus -ing.
- Model answer: The inquiry found that officials had suppressed key evidence.
- The drug suppresses the reflex – precise and formal, while the second is far too casual.
- The suppression of the report was quiet – the noun names the act and needs an article.
The bottom line
Use suppress in a sentence when something is stopped by force, kept from being known, or held back from expression, and remember that it is transitive. The two decision points are these: it carries an edge of force or concealment, so it is too strong for ordinary restraint, and it differs from repress, which suggests deeper, less visible control. For gentle restraint, choose restrain or curb.
Frequently asked questions about suppress
What is the difference between suppress and repress?
Suppress usually describes an open act of putting something down or holding it back, such as suppressing a report or a smile. Repress suggests control that is deeper and less visible, often psychological, as in repressing a memory. Both are transitive, and the choice depends on how conscious and public the control is.
Is suppress always negative?
The word usually carries a critical edge, because it implies that something was forced or hidden. In medicine, however, it can be neutral, as when a treatment suppresses an immune response to prevent harm. Outside technical writing, the force sense nearly always raises a question about who had the right to hold something down.
What is the noun form of suppress?
The noun is suppression, as in the suppression of evidence or the suppression of a revolt. It is uncountable in these uses, so we say the suppression of the report, not a suppression of the report. The past participle suppressed also works as an adjective, as in a suppressed smile or suppressed laughter.
Can you suppress a feeling in everyday speech?
Yes, though it can sound a little formal for casual talk. In conversation people often say they held back a laugh or kept a straight face. Suppress a smile or suppress a yawn still appears in writing and in speech when the effort to control the feeling is the point being made.
“Suppress” means to forcibly put an end to something or prevent it from happening. This can involve restraining, controlling, or inhibiting certain actions, emotions, or expressions.
In various situations, individuals may find themselves needing to suppress their true feelings or thoughts in order to navigate social interactions, maintain composure, or adhere to societal norms. Learning how to effectively suppress emotions or impulses can be a valuable skill in managing interpersonal relationships and professional settings.
7 Examples Of Suppress Used In a Sentence For Kids
- Suppress the urge to talk while the teacher is speaking.
- Try to suppress your giggles during quiet time.
- It is important to suppress your anger and speak calmly.
- We should always try to suppress our feelings of jealousy towards others.
- Let’s all work together to suppress any feelings of negativity in the classroom.
- Remember to suppress any feelings of fear and face challenges bravely.
- Suppress any rude comments and speak kindly to your classmates.
14 Sentences with Suppress Examples
- Suppress your urge to check social media constantly while studying.
- Make sure to suppress distractions during group study sessions.
- It’s important to suppress any feelings of doubt during exams.
- Suppress the temptation to procrastinate on assignments.
- Don’t forget to suppress any negative thoughts that may hinder your performance.
- Remember to suppress any urge to plagiarize in your assignments.
- Always suppress the desire to skip classes for a day off.
- Make an effort to suppress any anxiety you may feel before a presentation.
- It’s crucial to suppress any distractions when working on important projects.
- Avoid the temptation to suppress your classmates during debates or discussions.
- Don’t hesitate to suppress any feelings of jealousy towards your peers’ accomplishments.
- Suppress the tendency to compare yourself to others in terms of academic achievements.
- Ensure to suppress any feelings of burnout by taking breaks and practicing self-care.
- Take steps to suppress any negative self-talk that may impact your confidence.
How To Use Suppress in Sentences?
To use Suppress in a sentence, you can follow these simple steps. First, identify the situation where you need to suppress something, such as emotions, urges, or information. For example, “She tried to suppress her laughter during the serious meeting.”
Next, find the subject of the sentence, which is the person or thing performing the action of suppressing. In the example sentence, the subject is “She.”
Then, locate the object of the sentence, which is the thing being suppressed. In this case, the object is “her laughter.”
After identifying the subject and object, connect them using the main word Suppress in the appropriate form based on the tense of the sentence. Make sure to place Suppress in the correct position within the sentence. For instance, “He always tries to suppress his anger when things don’t go his way.”
Remember to pay attention to the context of the sentence to ensure that the use of suppress fits the meaning you intend. Practice constructing sentences with suppress in different contexts to become more comfortable using it in your own writing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of suppress in sentences typically refers to the act of restraining, inhibiting, or controlling something. For instance, “She tried to suppress her laughter during the serious meeting” illustrates the attempt to hold back an emotional reaction. Similarly, “The government tried to suppress information about the scandal” shows an effort to prevent the public from accessing certain details. Through these examples, we can see that suppress often implies a deliberate action to conceal or limit something.
Overall, the diverse ways in which suppress is used in sentences highlight its ability to convey various concepts of control and restraint. Whether it involves stifling emotions or concealing information, the term plays a crucial role in elucidating efforts to manage or contain certain elements within a given context.
