Synonyms of strangle

strangle

verb

ˈstraŋ-gəl 

1

as in to choke

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air

the gull got tangled in a piece of fishing line on the beach and was strangled

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choke
• stifle
• suffocate
• smother
• drown
• destroy
• throttle
• asphyxiate
• slay
• garrote
• fell
• dispatch
• croak
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• revive
• inhale
• exhale
• resuscitate

2

as in to throttle

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe

the boy complained that he was being strangled by his tie

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choke
• throttle
• suffocate
• garrote
• stifle
• smother
• asphyxiate
• scrag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• revive
• resuscitate

3

as in to stifle

to refrain from openly showing or uttering

strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stifle
• suppress
• swallow
• repress
• smother
• manage
• choke (back)
• submerge
• control
• contain
• hold back
• govern
• sink
• quash
• curb
• pocket
• quell
• check
• bridle
• muffle
• squelch
• bottle up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• express
• release
• take out
• unleash
• loose
• vent

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of strangle

Conahan was arrested in February 1997, accused of raping Montgomery, strangling him and cutting off his genitals to eliminate DNA tracing. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

In January 2023, Clancy strangled her three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months before trying to kill herself. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Sixty-four of its cities had been reduced to rubble and ash by incendiary bombs, as a submarine blockade strangled its economy, cutting off food, fuel, and raw materials. — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026

After the women arrived on January 11, 1979, Bianchi strangled them to death. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026