verb/sofoˈkaɾ/
to suffocate, to stifle, to smother; to quell, to suppress, to put down, to crush, to quash, to squelch
“Intentábamos sofocar la rebelión antes de que empezara.” — We were trying to quell the rebellion before it started.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Latin fōc- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin suffōcārebor. Spanish sofocar Borrowed from Latin suffōcāre. Compare English suffocate.