as in strangling
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 asphyxiating
The indictment charges Horner with strangling, smothering or asphyxiating Athena while in the course of kidnapping her.
—
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, then knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, asphyxiating him.
—Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Jan. 2026
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, then knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, asphyxiating him.
—Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiating
Verb
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The emerging uproar could prove costly for Swalwell if his fundraising dries up, strangling his ability to run campaign ads, or if unions and other groups that endorsed his campaign begin to retract their decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Horner, a former FedEx driver who abducted the child while delivering a package to her home, told a false story about hitting the little girl with his truck and then strangling her in a panic, Espinoza testified.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An autopsy performed on Monday by the Lake County Coroner's Office indicated that the man's death was consistent with drowning.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Unfortunately, João died unexpectedly after hitting his head and drowning in the family’s new swimming pool when Ronaldinho was eight, per the Bleacher Report.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Asphyxiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiating. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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