asphyxiating

verb

present participle of asphyxiate
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of asphyxiating Carbon monoxide, an asphyxiating gas, and benzene, a cancer-causing vapor, also exceeded California’s hourly standards in several kitchens. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiating
  1. strangling
  2. drowning
Verb
  • The latest slate of attacks is strangling a recovery in movement throughout the strait that had been building for weeks.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Officers found multiple videos that showed Jackson grabbing his Goldendoodle by the neck and strangling it before throwing it against a wall, killing it, police said.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of strangling
Verb
  • Prosecutors say he was beaten, suspended by his hands and feet and subjected to simulated drowning during two days of interrogation.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Rings, watches, and even bedtime armbands like Garmin's Index Sleep Monitor now log every toss and turn, while dedicated sleep earbuds like the battery-less SomniBuds focus on drowning out the world around you.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of drowning

Browse Nearby Words

asphyxiates
asphyxiating
aspirant
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Cite this Entry

“Asphyxiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiating. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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