garrote

variants or garotte
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
  • Finally, things became so intense that Ishida developed a fascination for erotic asphyxiation, which is how Abe came to strangle him to death in a love hotel one night.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025
  • Six children were allegedly beaten and strangled to the point of unconsciousness, among other forms of torture by their guardians and another adult at a Victorville home, with some of the abuse going back at least a decade, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
    Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • That includes allegations that in 2024, Burgin would consistently put his hands on her—scratching, choking her, and slamming her head into a wall.
    Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 19 May 2025
  • The girl, whose family identified her as Lily, was driven to a remote location on the night of May 3, where her ex-boyfriend then assaulted her, choked her and threw her from a moving vehicle, the Star-Telegram previously reported.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Behind a vintage performance from Marquez and a power surge by Hunter Goodman, the Rockies throttled the Padres 9-3, snapping an eight-game losing streak.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
  • The coverage players accelerated toward the goal line before throttling down and sealing off the returner.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 10 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Garrote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garrote. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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