throttle

verb

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throt·tle | \ ˈthrä-tᵊl

\

throttled; throttling\ ˈthrät-liŋ

, ˈthrä-tᵊl-iŋ \

Definition of throttle

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a(1) : to compress the throat of : choke

(2) : to kill by such action

b : to prevent or check expression or activity of : suppress policies that throttle creativity

2a : to decrease the flow of (something, such as steam or fuel to an engine) by a valve

b : to regulate and especially to reduce the speed of (something, such as an engine) by such means

c : to vary the thrust of (a rocket engine) during flight

intransitive verb

: to throttle something (something, such as an engine) —usually used with back or downthe pilot throttled back

throttle

noun

Definition of throttle (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a valve for regulating the supply of a fluid (such as steam) to an engine especially : the valve controlling the volume of vaporized fuel charge delivered to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine

b : the lever controlling this valve

c : the condition of being throttled

2a : throat sense 1a

b : trachea sense 1

at full throttle

: at full speed the project is proceeding at full throttle

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Examples of throttle in a Sentence

Verb He throttled her in a fit of jealous rage. I'm so mad I could throttle her! Noun When you press a car's accelerator, it opens the throttle, and the car goes faster.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Gophers fans last stormed the field in 2014 when the U throttled Iowa, 51-14. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Gophers fans rush field in ‘wild’ scene after 31-26 upset of Penn State," 9 Nov. 2019 The researchers found that the drug wasn’t just throttling glutamine metabolism. — Mitch Leslie, Science | AAAS, "Revamped cancer drug starves tumors in mice," 7 Nov. 2019 The Federal Trade Commission announced today that AT&T has agreed to pay $60 million in a settlement that centers around secretly throttled unlimited plans in 2011. — Wired, "A $60 Million Fine Won't Stop AT&T From Throttling “Unlimited” Data Plans," 5 Nov. 2019 Although growth has throttled way down from last year, the economy is still growing just below its 2% GDP growth potential. — Mark Zandi For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, "Pressure will be on the Fed to clean up Trump's trade war mess," 31 Oct. 2019 Silver Creek bounces back with authority The Dragons put their lone loss to Brownstown Central aside and throttled Corydon Central 28-14. — David J. Kim, The Courier-Journal, "Jeffersonville student manager overcomes disabilities to score a touchdown for his team," 19 Oct. 2019 March 23— Alcindor scored 37 points and UCLA throttled Purdue for a third straight NCAA title, 92-72. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar debuted with the Bucks 50 years ago this month; here's what people were talking about as the game approached," 14 Oct. 2019 Nevada had a bye last week, much needed after a 54-3 throttling at the hands of Hawaii in its Mountain West opener Sept. 28. — Michael Lerseth, SFChronicle.com, "Capsule preview of San Jose State-Nevada football game," 11 Oct. 2019 This looks nothing like the team that throttled Howard and Syracuse in the first two games. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "No. 12 Penn State blows out Maryland (again) 59-0," 27 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun As soon as the rocket plane was clear of the B-52, the pilot would grab the throttle as quickly as possible to open the propellant lines. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "What it was like to fly the baddest airplane the world has ever known," 16 Sep. 2019 Located in the heart of Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened 40 years ago with no engineer at the throttle of the runaway mine trains. — Advertorial, Orange County Register, "History & Heritage: Tipping Our Hat to the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness," 15 Sep. 2019 The new control system distributes torque to the front and rear axles in such a way to make the rear-biased system easier to control with deft working of the throttle. — Wired, "With the Taycan, Porsche Launches into the Electric Future," 4 Sep. 2019 Just bang it down a gear or two and twist the throttle. — Joe Michaud, San Diego Union-Tribune, "2019 KTM 790 Duke: a lightweight, midsize rocket of a bike," 25 Aug. 2019 The findings, which were released today, offer an inside glimpse into Madigan’s intensely secretive political operation that controls the throttle on which legislation lives and dies in Springfield. — Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, "The Spin: Unflattering report doesn’t just highlight bullying, sexual harassment in House Speaker Mike Madigan’s offices. It’s a window into normally highly secretive operations.," 20 Aug. 2019 For a first ride, users are given a brief operating tutorial on the app that covers the basics like how to start and accelerate (watch out for the sensitive throttle) and requirements, like wearing a helmet (two are included in the moped’s trunk). — Aaron Randle, New York Times, "Now Crowding New York’s Streets: Rented Mopeds Going 30 M.P.H.," 9 Aug. 2019 Snowmobilers can punch the throttle to power out of harm's way. — National Geographic, "Avalanches, explained," 19 July 2019 The loud noise occurred as Palyok, a T-38C instructor pilot with 376 hours in the jet, including 4.6 hours at night, adjusted the throttles for takeoff during his fifth practice touch-and-go landing. — Sig Christenson, ExpressNews.com, "After a loud buzzing, T-38 crew in Del Rio had seconds to act," 17 June 2019

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

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Last Updated

22 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Throttle.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throttling. Accessed 22 November 2019.

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More Definitions for throttle

throttle

verb