as in to strangle
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 asphyxiate
In February 2023, a 23-month-old child in Oregon who was climbing on the back of the play kitchen asphyxiated after his shirt got caught on one of the hooks.
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Cartman then attempts and fails to asphyxiate himself — and Butters — in a car for the rest of the episode.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 July 2025
Spota was the working prosecutor on the case of Johnny Pius, a young boy who was found beaten and asphyxiated in his Smithtown, Long Island schoolyard in April 1979.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
That same year, a 42-year-old man asphyxiated during a donut eating contest.
—Paula Cohen, CBS News, 4 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for asphyxiate
Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Cartman then attempts and fails to asphyxiate himself — and Butters — in a car for the rest of the episode.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 July 2025
Spota was the working prosecutor on the case of Johnny Pius, a young boy who was found beaten and asphyxiated in his Smithtown, Long Island schoolyard in April 1979.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
That same year, a 42-year-old man asphyxiated during a donut eating contest.
—Paula Cohen, CBS News, 4 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for asphyxiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiate
Verb
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He was then stabbed and strangled to death, Evans said.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Daryl charges inside and fights off walkers before strangling Chofo in the bathtub.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As commissioner Cathy Engelbert took the microphone to congratulate the Las Vegas Aces and crown them the WNBA champions, fans in Phoenix drowned out her message with relentless booing.—
Shannon Ryan,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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His pre-teen son in tow, Luis joins up with a crusty group of dancers who are heading to a secret party in the heart of the desert, where the beats will be loud enough to drown out the sounds of the apocalyptic war that’s brewing around them.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Asphyxiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiate. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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