1
as in choking
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
the gull got tangled in a piece of fishing line on the beach and was strangled
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in throttling
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
the boy complained that he was being strangled by his tie
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stifling
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news
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Recent Examples of strangling
Later that month, another jury said Rafael Andres should be sent back to Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker cord in 2005.
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Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
This month, 11 alleged TdA members were indicted in New Mexico, accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating and strangling to death a man in Albuquerque and burying his body in a remote desert grave, The Center Square reported.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
The San Francisco District Attorney announced Wednesday that the man accused of strangling his dog to death in public has been charged.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 1 Jan. 2026
In 2021, Bryan pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of domestic violence after being accused of strangling a woman.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
Viverette is also accused of strangling his girlfriend and taking her dog earlier on Tuesday.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Dec. 2025
Pieper's ex-boyfriend allegedly admitted to strangling her, hiding her body in a suitcase and burying it in the forest.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 30 Nov. 2025
China, in turn, imposed new strangling restrictions on the export of seven rare earth minerals.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors accuse Haile of strangling Kathleen Carrig, then setting fire to their apartment with gasoline, the outlet reported.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangling
Verb
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Local news outlets, however, reported that the actor has been in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Seoul after collapsing while choking on food at his home.—
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Seven elderly men and women were hospitalized after choking on mochi in the first three days of 2026, Japan Today reported, citing the Tokyo Fire Department.—
Verb
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Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.—
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The immense costs associated with the program have only worsened the economic situation, leading to a more stifling environment.—
Verb
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After drowning Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and 6-month-old Mary, Andrea called the police to confess.—
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New York — The gas pump has emerged as a rare source of relief for Americans drowning in higher prices — and that positive trend is expected to continue in 2026, regardless of the uncertainty in Venezuela.—
Verb
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There’s plenty to like about both veteran pitchers and reason to believe that competing in a home run-suppressing environment will allow their attributes to play up.—
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Foulk argued Barrett was suppressing evidence by preventing the state from presenting certain tax returns and Illinois Department of Revenue testimony.—
Verb
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The silence in that room — not just from the Doppler, but in the air — was suffocating.—
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The infinite view from the high-floor oceanfront room was consistently breathtaking, service was high-end yet not suffocating, and the food and beverage offerings were top tier.—
Verb
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Any muscles used for movement — including those involved in speaking, chewing, swallowing, seeing, blinking, breathing and walking — can be affected.—
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To save humankind, a geophysicist living with early-onset Alzheimer’s is recruited to investigate the vast void swallowing the oceans.—
Verb
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Cathedral Catholic Girls soccer Collecting two goals and two assists while playing smothering defense, the senior led the Dons to a 2-0-1 record in the Excalibur Tournament, downing Huntington Beach Edison 1-0 in the finale.—
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The Jaguars are firmly in the conversation with Liam Coen’s offense running on nitromethane and a defense smothering running games.—
Cite this Entry
“Strangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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