All 7 Uses

stifle
in
The Guardian, by Nicholas Sparks
(Edited)

In the corner, Mabel stifled a laugh.
Chpt 3

stifled = suppressed (prevented something or decreased its development)
Julie stifled a laugh.
Chpt 15
She felt the blood drain from her face, and she inhaled sharply, stifling part but not all of the sound with the back of her hand.
Chpt 25

stifling = suppressing (preventing something or decreasing its development)
Stifling her panic, Jennifer focused on the body below her.
Chpt 33 *

stifling = suppressing (preventing something from developing further)
He shook his head, stifling a yawn.
Chpt 38

stifling = suppressing (preventing something or decreasing its development)
The air seemed thick and stifling.
Chpt 39 *

stifling = making breathing more difficult -- typically due to heat and humidity
He whimpered again, and Julie stifled her cry.
Chpt 42

stifled = suppressed (prevented something or decreased its development)

Definitions:

(1) (stifle as in: stifling the urge)
to suppress (prevent something or decrease its development) -- often political freedom
(2) (stifle as in: the heat is stifling)
to make breathing difficult or impossible -- often from heat or humidity
(3) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
Much more rarely, to stifle is used in the context of anatomy to refer to a four-legged animal's equivalent of the human knee (the joint between the upper and lower leg).