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.
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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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Kennedy, 71, has spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological condition in which the muscles that open and close his vocal cords spasm involuntarily, creating a strained or strangled quality to his speech.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
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The women were strangled and rendered unconscious during the attack.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At least four people drowned at McKinley Beach alone in 2020, which prompted Milwaukee County officials to close it for the remainder of the year — though the closure actually lasted until last spring, with restoration effort complications and an active lifeguard shortage.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Through last Saturday, at least 32 people had drowned in Lake Michigan this year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, which tracks deaths on all five Great Lakes.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Asphyxiated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiated. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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