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 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
  • Another woman also accuses Tristan Tate, 38, of strangling her unconscious and then raping her, according to the filings.
    — Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Jury selection got underway July 20 in the murder trial of a Massachusetts mother accused of fatally strangling her three children, a case that rocked the community of Duxbury and shed a spotlight on a rare mental health condition.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 20 July 2026
Definition of strangling
Verb
  • Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 through 4, and in kids ages 5 through 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after vehicle crashes.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • For a generation drowning in student debt, this is a substantial structural fix.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of drowning

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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 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on asphyxiating

Nglish: Translation of asphyxiating for Spanish Speakers

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