suffocate

1 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 choke, stifle, strangle, smotherRelated Words garrote (or garotte), throttle; asphyxiate; drown; croak [slang], destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, slayNear Antonyms breathe, exhale, expire, inhale, inspire; resuscitate, revive

2 to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe <temporarily suffocated by the seat belt> Synonyms garrote (or garotte), strangle, choke, throttleRelated Words asphyxiate, smother, stifle; scragNear Antonyms restore, resuscitate, revive

3 to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe <suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building> Synonyms gag, chokeRelated Words heave, retch, throw up, vomit; asphyxiate, smother, stifleNear Antonyms breathe, respire; expire, inspire