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

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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

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3

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 strangle Serial killer Lorenzo Jerome Gilyard was convicted in 2007 for killing six women in Kansas City but is believed to have raped and strangled two girls and 11 women, most of whom had worked as prostitutes, from 1977 to 1993. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2025 The couple's violent past In 1989, Ozzy attempted to strangle Sharon. Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 24 July 2025 Police found the 48-year-old strangled and bludgeoned to death the next morning. ABC News, 21 July 2025 Donald has two open criminal contempt cases, including one for allegedly strangling his husband twice in one night, PIX11 reported, citing prosecutors. Becca Longmire, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle
Verb
  • Though so many clubs have choked on their own disco dust, the club-model actually works here, largely because the original home base, Maison Estelle, is still the toast of Mayfair, and artistic director Eiesha Pasricha understands how to create cool.
    Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Use caution with toddlers who could choke on the kernels.
    Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Squashing or heavily stifling innovation in mental health is not the way we should be headed. Thoughtful and guarded adoption of AI is warranted and saluted.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • This has been the summer of (financial) discontent; a subject so evident and stifling that Emery had no choice but to refer to it in his programme notes.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Amid the backdrop of the suffocating family party, the search for the letter unlocks memories of a past he's tried to forget: months earlier, while working undercover in a mall bathroom, Lucas arrested men by seducing them.
    Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • These are the two standout summer jackets that get the job done—rain, shine, or suffocating heat.
    Jakob Schiller, Outside, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The warming can leap back without something to suppress it.
    Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
  • The air force said Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles into Ukraine, of which 30 drones and six missiles were intercepted or suppressed.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Colson smothered Fisk just short of the first-down marker after Fisk made the reception.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Additional lightning strikes from these types of clouds could set off new blazes or reignite areas crews have already smothered.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Although swallowing a small amount of meconium is safe, breathing it in can cause serious respiratory issues.
    David Chiu, People.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Joy isn’t coming, though, Miranda tells her, because her dog swallowed something.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • State troopers responded to the 38 mile marker of Fan Hollow Cove in Camden County around 12:15 a.m. following a reported drowning.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Columbia University student Miguel Cisneros, 19, drowned after jumping off Pratt Pier in the Rogers Park neighborhood for a swim.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

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