stranglehold

noun

stran·​gle·​hold ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld How to pronounce stranglehold (audio)
Synonyms of strangleholdnext
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that stops something from growing or developing
… opened three stores within a year and got a stranglehold on market share.Inc.

Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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With Disney’s stranglehold on the market, such investments might be fruitless. HubSpot, 1 June 2026 The debt management agreement, which involves a monthly payment, freed him from the stranglehold of high interest but required that no new credit be drawn. Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 27 May 2026 As Premier League clubs increase their stranglehold on European competitions, the fight to qualify for them only gets more fierce. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 24 May 2026 Methodically and quietly, Black Bear—backed by the private-equity firm Blackstreet Capital Holdings—is tightening its stranglehold over the youth-hockey infrastructure along the Eastern Seaboard. Chris Murphy, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for stranglehold

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stranglehold was in 1893

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Cite this Entry

“Stranglehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stranglehold. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

stranglehold

noun
stran·​gle·​hold ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld How to pronounce stranglehold (audio)
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or blocks freedom of development or expression

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