suffocating
adjective
suf·fo·cat·ing
ˈsə-fə-ˌkā-tiŋ 
: tending or serving to suffocate or overpower : overwhelming
suffocatingly
adverb
Examples of suffocating in a Sentence
inside the bunker it was suffocating, and some of the men had already passed out
Recent Examples on the Web
Those laughs are balanced with real world issues, and a longing for these gentlewomen locked into the suffocating zeitgeist of early 1800s British Regency.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2025
Its suffocating Puritanic culture is suddenly rocked by an exhilarating theater movement fostering the likes of Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus, but also by an underground of intrigue and dissent that’s hatching schemes to blow up Parliament and extinguish royal rule.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Despite his team not needing to throw the football much thanks to a suffocating defensive performance (Trevor Lawrence attempted just 22 passes in Jacksonville's 35-6 win over the Chargers), Meyers still received six targets and produced five catches for 64 yards.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Nov. 2025
Halftime: Texas 48, James Madison 22 A balanced offensive attack and a suffocating defense has undefeated Texas halfway home to its fifth victory of the season.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 19 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Suffocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suffocating. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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