garrote

variants or garotte
Definition of garrotenext
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

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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 Last year, he was garroted by saw briars—the vicious inch-long thorns that lace the course—which left bleeding gashes across his neck. George Pendle, Esquire, 26 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garrote
Verb
  • The emerging uproar could prove costly for Swalwell if his fundraising dries up, strangling his ability to run campaign ads, or if unions and other groups that endorsed his campaign begin to retract their decisions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Horner, a former FedEx driver who abducted the child while delivering a package to her home, told a false story about hitting the little girl with his truck and then strangling her in a panic, Espinoza testified.
    Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The younger girl was able to escape and get help as Gaff began choking her sister with the electrical cord.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The pledges had to fight him, almost choke him out.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The detentions have made residents hesitant to speak about the war, throttled the availability of crucial online evidence of the unfolding conflict and contributed to a climate of fear in the face of authoritarian governments.
    Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
  • So that really throttled things.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Garrote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garrote. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

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