stranglehold
noun
stran·gle·hold
ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld 
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.
Inc.Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Broncos' win tightened their stranglehold on the division lead.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025
And both institutions, like every other museum with any relationship to the federal government, have been in the stranglehold of imperious demands from the White House; do-as-we-say pressure from state governments is becoming increasingly common, too.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
What Happens Next The jihadist stranglehold on Bamako increases the risk of yet another military coup or of protests that ultimately bring this about.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Xi will likely continue using Beijing’s stranglehold on critical minerals to coerce the United States and others.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stranglehold
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.
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025
And both institutions, like every other museum with any relationship to the federal government, have been in the stranglehold of imperious demands from the White House; do-as-we-say pressure from state governments is becoming increasingly common, too.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
What Happens Next The jihadist stranglehold on Bamako increases the risk of yet another military coup or of protests that ultimately bring this about.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Xi will likely continue using Beijing’s stranglehold on critical minerals to coerce the United States and others.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stranglehold
Cite this Entry
“Stranglehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stranglehold. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stranglehold
noun
stran·gle·hold
ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share