1
as in to choke
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strangle
China, in turn, imposed new strangling restrictions on the export of seven rare earth minerals.
—
Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Detectives determined that Spillers had been strangled based on bruising that could be seen on her neck, detectives wrote in the affidavit.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 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
Police have at long last identified a newborn boy found strangled at a San Bruno park in 1981 and are now asking for the public’s help as the investigation into the cold case continues.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strangle
Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Detectives determined that Spillers had been strangled based on bruising that could be seen on her neck, detectives wrote in the affidavit.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 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
Police have at long last identified a newborn boy found strangled at a San Bruno park in 1981 and are now asking for the public’s help as the investigation into the cold case continues.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle
Verb
-
The drought has also set the stage for devastating wildfires in Brazil that have destroyed huge swaths of the Amazon as well as the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands, and choked cities in thick smoke.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
For younger children, this is a matter of safety, as toys intended for older kids can contain small pieces that pose choking hazards or materials that aren’t safe to chew on.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Overall, though, Joseph's fleet bounced back enough to stifle the tight end for the rest of the half, as Bowers finished with just one catch on three targets.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Lean also refuted claims that bipolar disorder stifles creativity.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But for this to work, these supercities must have freedom from the bureaucratic maze that suffocates current development.—
Zoltan Istvan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
There’s nothing Vlasic would love more than to be the next Los Angeles Kings, suffocating teams and limiting chances.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The weight-loss drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, or GLP-1s, suppress the appetite of users, leading to weight loss.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The experimental once-weekly drug, eloralintide, belongs to the class of drugs that mimic the pancreatic hormone amylin which slows digestion and suppresses hunger.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Burn a candle, for example, and the flame will quickly smother itself as smoke crowds around the wick with no oxygen to feed it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Smothered Turf The wet leaves smother the grass by blocking sunlight, reducing photosynthesis, and slowing oxygen flow to the soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Signs and symptoms – which can take several weeks to develop – may include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing and a weak and altered cry, which can progress to difficulty breathing and respiratory arrest.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelid, weak muscle tone, difficulty swallowing and breathing problems, among others.—
Jonel Aleccia,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
One villager has drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, officials confirmed to the Associated Press, while another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province after being pinned by debris from a collapsed home.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share