ASPHYXIATING Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 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

Verb

In December 2023, Sarah Steele accused Jacob Wulfson, a US air force captain also based at Lakenheath, of drugging, assaulting and strangling her after meeting via a dating app.

— Will Barker, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
Another 74-year-old, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to die July 14 for strangling an 18-year-old woman in Broward County on New Year’s Eve 1981.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026

Definition of strangling

Verb

Investigation and potential parental charges While the medical response faces scrutiny, local law enforcement is focusing on the events leading up to the near-drowning.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 July 2026
The death marked the fourth fatal drowning on the Lake of the Ozarks in 2026, according to the patrol’s data.

— Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026

Definition of drowning

Browse Nearby Words

asphyxiates

asphyxiating

aspirant

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Asphyxiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiating. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of asphyxiating

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on asphyxiating

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

effulgence

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes