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
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Recent Examples of hyperventilate
The hyperactive plotting runs on hyperventilating prose.
—
Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Some may also hyperventilate, which can lead to fainting as well.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Belly hyperventilates and runs to the bathroom to calm down with Taylor.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Breathing difficulties: The shock of sudden cold-water exposure can cause bouts of wheezing, gasping, and rapid breathing (hyperventilating).
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hyperventilate
Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Some may also hyperventilate, which can lead to fainting as well.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Belly hyperventilates and runs to the bathroom to calm down with Taylor.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Breathing difficulties: The shock of sudden cold-water exposure can cause bouts of wheezing, gasping, and rapid breathing (hyperventilating).
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hyperventilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hyperventilate
Verb
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The View's audience gasped at the observation, which Haines strongly countered.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
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The Iranian state television announcer was gasping for air.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On one of the machines a Cluely employee panted and huffed in the dark.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
On a recent Friday, Bernhardt dressed up, with a cashmere sweater, a pair of baggy, Free People pants, and a pair of Ugg boots.—
Emily M. Olson,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hyperventilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hyperventilate. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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