suffocate

verb

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suf·fo·cate | \ ˈsə-fə-ˌkāt

suffocated; suffocating

Definition of suffocate

transitive verb

1a(1) : to stop the respiration of (as by strangling or asphyxiation)

(2) : to deprive of oxygen

b : to make uncomfortable by want of fresh air

2 : to impede or stop the development of

intransitive verb

1 : to become suffocated:

a(1) : to die from being unable to breathe

(2) : to die from lack of oxygen

b : to be uncomfortable through lack of fresh air

2 : to become checked in development

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Examples of suffocate in a Sentence

Don't put that pillow over her face—she could suffocate. The poor dog could suffocate in the car on a hot day like this. The victims were found suffocated.

Recent Examples on the Web The Dickinson siblings proceed to fight over Sue, who then complains of them suffocating her. — Kristin Vartan, EW.com, "The Dickinson recap binge guide: Episodes 1-10," 11 Nov. 2019 When did Liverpool go from being consistently worse than Tottenham to finishing a full 26 points above them and suffocating them in a European Cup final? — SI.com, "Liverpool & Tottenham Are Heading in Completely Different Directions After Years as Rivals," 29 Oct. 2019 That would include Angela McAnulty, who tortured and starved her 15-year-old daughter, and Billy Lee Oatney Jr., who raped and tortured Susi Larsen in 1996 before suffocating her with a garbage bag. — oregonlive.com, "The back-alley mugging of the death penalty: Steve Duin," 16 Aug. 2019 Bosco was returned to the jail and may have intentionally suffocated himself while eating a sandwich, Crum said. — Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, "Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office IDs inmate found dead in cell," 18 July 2019 The swarming insects had suffocated them by blocking their airways, said Ms. Berg, 42. — Kris Maher, WSJ, "The Black Fly Is Here for Your Blood—and Dignity," 16 June 2019 Greek officials say Suzanne Eaton was suffocated to death and then dumped in the dank, labyrinthine World War II-era bunker. — CBS News, "American scientist murdered in Crete suffered a slow death, forensic pathologists say," 12 July 2019 Also in the group are some family members of people who died — including Carmen Berriz, who suffocated in her husband’s arms in a pool at a Santa Rosa vacation rental. — J.d. Morris, SFChronicle.com, "PG&E’s role in the 2017 Tubbs Fire on track for trial in January," 16 Sep. 2019 In addition to the clutch kicking game, the Wolf Pack's defense was suffocating in its first game. — Si Wire, SI.com, "Nevada vs. Oregon Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time," 7 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suffocate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.