as in strangled
to cause (someone) to stop breathing and often to become unconscious and die
The murder victim was asphyxiated.
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Recent Examples of asphyxiated
In Oregon in February 2023, a 23-month-old child was asphyxiated after his shirt got caught on one of the hooks while climbing and crawling through the opening at the back of the play kitchen where the toy kitchen accessories are held, per the CPSC.
—
Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 5 Aug. 2025
Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiated
Verb
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Detectives determined that Spillers had been strangled based on bruising that could be seen on her neck, detectives wrote in the affidavit.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Oct. 2025
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The criticism even included attacks on her appearance and calls for her to be burned, raped or strangled.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The ghost of a Cloyd brother's daughter who fell from a horse and drowned in a stream is said to make her presence known.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
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Sergeant Anna Barbosa said Hennigan is believed to have drowned.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Asphyxiated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiated. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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