STRANGLE Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

strangle

verb

ˈstraŋ-gəl

Definition of strangle

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 But the same instinct that makes a founder indispensable early is exactly what strangles the organization later. — Daria Rudnik, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Another 74-year-old, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to die July 14 for strangling an 18-year-old woman in Broward County on New Year’s Eve 1981. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026 The woman told deputies that over three days she was repeatedly beaten, pistol-whipped and strangled into near unconsciousness before receiving yet another beating Sunday morning. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026 Jackson had been beaten and strangled with the rope that had led the witness to her body. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for strangle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle

Verb

This practice carries risks, such as choking and aspiration, or food entering the airway.

— Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Historically, modest fires every seven to 20 years kept forests from being overgrown and choked with highly flammable dead wood and brush, Williams said.

— Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 July 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

Cubans strolled along el Paseo del Prado promenade in the inky night, desperate to escape the stifling heat of their homes.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
The outages come as some areas are expected to experience severe weather and stifling heat again on Saturday.

— Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 July 2026

Definition of stifle

Verb

Record-setting heat is suspected in 25 deaths from the Deep South to the Midwest to the East Coast, authorities said, with the temperature highs also suppressing some Fourth of July celebrations.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 July 2026
When coated onto a polypropylene separator with graphene, the material formed a thin interfacial layer that readily absorbed electrolyte while suppressing polysulfide migration.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

On back-tob-back possessions, Lendeborg combined with Will Richard to smother one Spur attempt at the rim, and then covered for a botched defensive play by Graham Ike by blocking Miles Kelly’s attempt from seven feet away.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Yassine Bounou had to deal with a couple of spicy crosses and made one really good save to smother a Tani Oluwaseyi chance.

— Carl Anka, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of smother

Verb

Symptoms of infant botulism include constipation, a floppy neck and trouble swallowing, the CDC says.

— Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
In a darkly comedic twist, Beadie changes her mind after swallowing a lethal dose, and Jessa frantically calls the paramedics to save her life.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of swallow

Verb

The death marked the fourth fatal drowning on the Lake of the Ozarks in 2026, according to the patrol’s data.

— Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
The team’s supporters filled a few compact sections, islands of green drowned out in a sea of blue Kylian Mbappé jerseys.

— Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 6 July 2026

Definition of drown

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Style

“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of strangle

verb

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