Synonyms of suffocate

suffocate

verb

ˈsə-fə-ˌkāt 

1

as in to strangle

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air

the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• choke
• drown
• smother
• stifle
• destroy
• asphyxiate
• throttle
• slay
• fell
• garrote
• dispatch
• croak
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• inhale
• revive
• exhale
• resuscitate

2

as in to choke

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe

temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• choke
• throttle
• asphyxiate
• smother
• garrote
• stifle
• scrag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• revive
• resuscitate

3

as in to vomit

to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe

suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choke
• vomit
• gag
• heave
• smother
• stifle
• throw up
• asphyxiate
• retch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• respire
• expire

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of suffocate

During such executions, inmates breathe in pure nitrogen gas through a mask, eventually displacing all the oxygen in their body and suffocating them. —Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Landscape fabric can harm healthy soil by suffocating beneficial organisms and disrupting natural nutrient cycles. —Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026

Theah Loudemia Russell, 19, confessed to suffocating Harvey and attempting to suffocate another child, according to murder and assault charges. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026

The mixture will suffocate the wasps, killing them instantly. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026