1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocate
The investigators also obtained a trove of inspection documents from two Mountaire Farms slaughterhouses through a Freedom of Information Act request, which revealed instances of birds being scalded alive, buried alive, suffocated to death, amputated, diseased, and contaminated with feces.
—
Kenny Torrella, Vox, 31 Mar. 2025
Iran’s economy is suffocating under sanctions, and Trump, focused on expanding any lucrative business opportunities, is keen to avoid escalating military action in the Middle East.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
But Season 2, by leaning so far into its characters’ anguish, has become more circular and suffocating in its storytelling.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025
The Panthers play a defense-first, forecheck-heavy style that suffocates opponents and suppresses scoring chances.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Kenny Torrella, Vox, 31 Mar. 2025
Iran’s economy is suffocating under sanctions, and Trump, focused on expanding any lucrative business opportunities, is keen to avoid escalating military action in the Middle East.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
But Season 2, by leaning so far into its characters’ anguish, has become more circular and suffocating in its storytelling.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025
The Panthers play a defense-first, forecheck-heavy style that suffocates opponents and suppresses scoring chances.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
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The condition involves the involuntary pulling of the muscles that open and close the vocal folds, causing the voice to sound strained and strangled, at times with a breathy quality.—
Indu Subramanian,
The Conversation,
1 May 2025
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Despite Jacmel’s sense of calm compared to Port-au-Prince, there’s fear that the terror strangling the capital and its neighboring Artibonite region will spread.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The woman told investigators that Washington had allegedly choked her after finding her ex-boyfriend’s phone number in her cell phone contacts, the report said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2025
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Remove any small objects that could be choking hazards.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The students fell ill within minutes of eating rice and potato curry, vomiting and convulsing with stomach cramps.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
2 May 2025
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The weapons cause respiratory seizures, vomiting, burning sensations and other debilitating symptoms.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her 14-year-old brother drowned, according to authorities, and her father is in a coma.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2025
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Except the music playing her off the stage drowns out his name!—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
Verb
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The song only encompasses a few lyrics, which were written by Black and director Jared Hess, where his character sings about his admiration for chicken smothered in hot lava.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2025
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Jeff Bezos smothers the editorial mission of the Washington Post, and Amazon commissions a forty-million-dollar documentary about the First Lady.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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