ASPHYXIATE Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

asphyxiate

verb

Definition of asphyxiate

as in to strangle

to cause (someone) to stop breathing and often to become unconscious and die The murder victim was asphyxiated.

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of asphyxiate The 10-mile-high plume asphyxiated around 200,000 residents but also preserved the city in remarkable detail. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026 The fine ash preserved the site but asphyxiated 200,000 residents. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026 The burns cause swelling, the airways close, and the victim can asphyxiate. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026 Tarrant County prosecutors said Busby and an accomplice abducted Crane, 77, from a grocery store parking lot, robbed her and then asphyxiated her with duct tape, wrapping 14 layers around her face. — Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for asphyxiate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiate

Verb

Clancy, 36, is on trial for strangling her three children at their Massachusetts home in January 2023 before attempting suicide.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
An autopsy later determined that JonBenét had been strangled to death and suffered a severe head injury.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of strangle

Verb

Oliver has been away from Buffalo's facility for periods this summer in the aftermath of his son, also named Ed, drowning in June at a residential pool in Houston.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
North American carrier upgrade cycles align perfectly with Apple's September calendar, channelling extensive marketing support and customer upgrades towards the new iPhone, effectively drowning out rival Android flagships.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026