GARROTE Synonyms: 11 Similar and Opposite Words

garrote

verb

variants or garotte

Definition of garrote

as in to strangle

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe the goons sent by the loan shark threatened to garrote the hero with his own necktie

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 garrote That means the Senate's only practical effect is adding another point at which oligarch lobbyists can garrote popular policy. — Ryan Cooper, The Week, 29 Oct. 2021 Tony, unhindered by any sense of moral anguish, garrotes the man in broad daylight with a length of cable. — Adam Wilson, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019 Sometimes the line between good writing and bad writing can be as thin as the piano wire with which a madman garrotes his victims. — Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, 15 Aug. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for garrote

Verb

Both concluded that Leslie had been hit over the head and strangled.

— Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
Prosecutors allege that Lindsay methodically planned the murders by sending her husband to pick up medication and takeout, and then strangling the children with exercise bands at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 30 July 2026

Definition of strangle

Verb

Today, however, several armed groups allied with Tehran are back to pressuring Iran’s foes by opening new fronts that complicate the war and threaten to choke the global economy.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
The important thing to know is that these techniques should only be used if your pet is truly choking – not simply coughing or gagging – and your pet should still be seen by a veterinarian afterward, even if the object is removed.

— Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

Both apps throttle the speed at which automations run and prevent access to certain AI features.

— Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026
Last year, Iowa and Illinois beat Vanderbilt and Tennessee, respectively, in bowl games while Indiana throttled Alabama in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of throttle

Browse Nearby Words

garrisons

garrote

garroted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Garrote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garrote. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of garrote

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on garrote

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

colloquial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes