as in strangles
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 Synonyms for asphyxiates
Verb
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As Grace looks on in horror, her soon-to-be husband strangles Ursula and snaps her neck.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026 -
Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After 81 nearly drowns during an underwater drill, the regiment leaders (played by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales) express concern that his PTSD from losing his brother might put him at risk or affect the team.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
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When Christina drowns herself for a second time, Baron Frankenstein is confronted by the unpredictability of stitching together dead flesh—his female creation is capable of reckoning with her past suffering.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
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“Asphyxiates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiates. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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