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
  • An autopsy determined the woman had been strangled and her death was ruled a homicide.
    Todd Feurer, CBS News, 1 May 2026
  • Since arriving on the scene almost a decade ago, the trio have presented themselves as firebrands, ready to stick it to an establishment seeking to strangle the last remnants of 20th century Irish republicanism.
    Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • These commuter patterns mean that every weekday, for three hours in the morning and another three hours in the evening, Los Angeles is choked by gridlock.
    Oren Peleg, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • Not the one who chokes in the playoffs.
    Geoff Clark OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • They were throttled from start to finish, giving a young and inexperienced Spurs team plenty of confidence that Monday’s loss was nothing more than a fluke.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 May 2026
  • Disruptions lasted more than 120,000 hours, as governments increasingly relied on blackouts, platform bans, and throttling to control access.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Garrote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garrote. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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