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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strangle
Police allegedly found a thin cord, believed to be used to strangle her, near her neck, the court documents say.
—
Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 6 Jan. 2026
This month, 11 alleged TdA members were indicted in New Mexico, accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating and strangling to death a man in Albuquerque and burying his body in a remote desert grave, The Center Square reported.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Stefon Diggs allegedly strangled his female chef over money earlier this month.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
In 2021, Bryan pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of domestic violence after being accused of strangling a woman.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strangle
Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 6 Jan. 2026
This month, 11 alleged TdA members were indicted in New Mexico, accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating and strangling to death a man in Albuquerque and burying his body in a remote desert grave, The Center Square reported.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Stefon Diggs allegedly strangled his female chef over money earlier this month.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
In 2021, Bryan pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of domestic violence after being accused of strangling a woman.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle
Verb
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This isn't the first time - or even the second - Johnson has used his training to save a child from choking.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
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Local news outlets, however, reported that the actor has been in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Seoul after collapsing while choking on food at his home.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Overall, though, Joseph's fleet bounced back enough to stifle the tight end for the rest of the half, as Bowers finished with just one catch on three targets.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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Lean also refuted claims that bipolar disorder stifles creativity.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The silence in that room — not just from the Doppler, but in the air — was suffocating.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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The way Seattle’s defense suffocated San Francisco’s offense, Robert Saleh’s crew needed to be perfect.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit alleges that for more than a decade, beginning at least as early as January 2015, Pepsi and Walmart used their dominant positions in the beverage and grocery markets to suppress price competition.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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The largest anti-government demonstrations to rock Iran in recent years intensified Friday night, fueling fears of growing fatalities as authorities battle to suppress the protests.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That is some smothering defense!—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The matrilineal passage of power—made known by crying tears of blood—has been smothered and controlled by men, but thanks to their new abilities, the twins escape their mother and her malicious husband.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both are on a mission, handing out flyers for Luis’ missing daughter, Mar, swallowed by the seemingly endless nomadic rave culture.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
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Despite its charm, it hasn’t been swallowed by the tourist surge that defines nearby Lake Tahoe.—
Amplified Content Studio,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One villager has drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, officials confirmed to the Associated Press, while another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province after being pinned by debris from a collapsed home.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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