as in to gasp
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty he was so nervous he began hyperventilating, and the extra oxygen made him dizzy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 hyperventilate Here’s a question for the hyperventilating media. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 19 Feb. 2025 But Min-su ends up hyperventilating as Nam-gyu stabs her to death anyway. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024 People ran pell-mell outside, sped away in cars with no clear destination, went to church, or just phoned the police or radio station to hyperventilate. Nicolas Rapold, airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024 Joey and Jesse hyperventilate at the sight of her. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 6 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for hyperventilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hyperventilate
Verb
  • According to multiple witness accounts, Black groaned, gasped and appeared to be in visible distress during the execution.
    Christina Coulter, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The soundtrack to it all included enough cracking to keep the audience and judges cringing and gasping.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • Officers responding to the scene found the dog panting heavily, with excessive drool coating the back seat.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Luckily, there’s a treasure trove of products designed to help panting pups keep cool — from elevated dog beds and cooling mats that lower their body temperature to bowls that keep their water frosty.
    Clint Davis, People.com, 4 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hyperventilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hyperventilate. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

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