strangled 1 of 2

adjective

as in choked

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strangled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of strangle
1
as in drowned
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in throttled
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
as in stifled
to refrain from openly showing or uttering strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news

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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 strangled
Verb
They were found dead in the family basement, having been gruesomely strangled one by one with exercise bands. — Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2026 The driver strangled and raped the woman after the ride began, the lawsuit said. — Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026 Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, Dawson and Callan, who were all under the age of 6 when they were found strangled in the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Clancy strangled the children with exercise bands in their home’s basement, then jumped from a second-floor window. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Clancy, 36, strangled her three children – Cora, 5; Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months – at the family's home in January 2023. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Over the course of the trial, Clancy’s attorney, the redoubtable Kevin Reddington, repeatedly acknowledged that his client strangled her children in the basement of her home on January 24, 2023, while her then husband was out running errands. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 The 36-year-old Massachusetts mother strangled her three children to death; a jury will decide whether to accept her insanity defense. — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026 Both prosecutors and her defense agree Clancy fatally strangled her children with exercise bands, and then cut her wrists and neck and jumped out of a window, at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home on January 24, 2023. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangled
  1. choked
  2. drowned
  3. stifled
  4. strained
  5. suffocated
  6. suppressed
  7. cracked
  8. smothered
Adjective
  • The western island of South Sumatra also battled fires, with more than 1,700 hot spots detected on Sunday, causing a choked haze cloud and reducing visibility to only 10 meters (33 feet) in some areas, the ministry said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • However, that deal fell apart after the US unleashed a fresh wave of attacks on Iran in mid-July, following Iranian strikes on vessels in the choked Strait of Hormuz.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of choked
Verb
  • According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, 34 people had already drowned on Lake Michigan on this day last year.
    — Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Most recently, a Georgia grandmother was charged with involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children in the second degree on July 15 after her 2-year-old grandson drowned at an apartment complex pool, according to Fulton County jail records.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of drowned
Verb
  • Shipping has been stifled in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil supply flowed prior to the war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Hiring has been stifled in part by high uncertainty, high interest rates, high inflation and volatile policy shifts and geopolitical developments.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stifled
Adjective
  • Gasper, who turns 31 next month, played for a month in the tense environment of the Dominican Winter League, then was summoned by Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic after former Red Sox catcher Kyle Teel suffered a strained right hamstring.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Fielder said the relationship grew strained as Evans tried to exert greater control over the project.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of strained
Verb
  • That’s what happened here as our little record store was basically being suffocated in its own little nerdism.
    — E.R. Pulgar, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Six days after the disaster, fears were growing that some might have suffocated, Dangi said.
    — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of suffocated
Verb
  • The superconductivity weakened with the screening and was eventually completely suppressed.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 128 drones, according to the air force.
    — Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of suppressed
Adjective
  • Inspect the weatherstripping for cracked, compressed or missing foam, vinyl or rubber seals.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Use them to cover a cracked deck, upgrade a front porch, create a barefoot-friendly walkway around a hot tub or pool, or even define a dedicated grilling station that’s easy to sweep clean.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2026
Definition of cracked
Verb
  • One jumper is famous for having smothered miles of flames with his jacket; in Alaska, jumpers have used spruce boughs and burlap bags filled with moss.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • When the restaurant itself opens, diners can also expect to see Giancarlo’s take on his grandmother’s spaghetti & blue crab, smothered in Sunday gravy and spaghetti tossed in the same sauce, topped with fresh basil.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of smothered

Browse Nearby Words

strangle
strangled
stranglehold
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Cite this Entry

“Strangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangled. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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