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.

Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Otherwise, LeBron has had a stranglehold on the crown of the NBA’s top earner. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Kansas Democrats needed to gain five seats in the House to end the Republican stranglehold on the chamber. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2026

The best team in baseball and World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers have had a stranglehold on the division and are likely to remain one of MLB’s best teams in the coming years. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

In 1381, England’s working class grabbed their pitchforks and rose against tyrannical landlords, extortionate taxes, and the stranglehold of serfdom. — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stranglehold

• copyhold
• decontrolled
• hundredfold
• manifold
• marigold
• oversold
• petioled
• sevenfold
• subthreshold
• thousandfold
• uncontrolled
• ahold

Kids 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