✅ Stifle means to end something by force, crush something, or quell it (to stifle debate on an issue).

✅ Squelch means crush, suppress, or silence something (squelch the publication of a controversial book).

✅ Stifle and squelch both mean to end something, and both can suggest ending something with force, aggression, or violence (stifle someone’s dreams).

✅ Squelch suggests greater force and violence as well as a more complete suppression (squelch a revolt).

✅ A bookworm is a person who loves reading, either for pleasure or in order to study (I was such a bookworm that I went to the library every day).

✅ A bibliophile is a person who loves or collects books, especially rare or unusual books or books as examples of artistry (Rare books like that are usually snapped up by bibliophiles).

✅ Bookworm and bibliophile are often used interchangeably, even though their meanings are a bit different. Bookworm often refers particularly to a person who loves reading or studying.

✅ Bookworm is a more informal term, whereas bibliophile is a more formal or literary term.

See how many of these synonyms apply to you!

✅ Predicament refers to a difficult, dangerous, or confusing situation (When I was on the roof and the ladder fell over, I was left in a predicament).

✅ Quagmire refers to a situation that is very difficult to get out of (I found myself in a quagmire of troubles due to my lies).

✅ Predicament and quagmire both refer to situations that are difficult to navigate and escape.

✅ However, predicament suggests the situation itself is problematic or dangerous, whereas quagmire suggests that getting out of the situation is what is difficult—the situation itself might not be dangerous.

Learn how to get out of some verbal quagmires with the help of these synonyms.