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 China, in turn, imposed new strangling restrictions on the export of seven rare earth minerals. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025 Detectives determined that Spillers had been strangled based on bruising that could be seen on her neck, detectives wrote in the affidavit. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025 Prosecutors accuse Haile of strangling Kathleen Carrig, then setting fire to their apartment with gasoline, the outlet reported. Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Police have at long last identified a newborn boy found strangled at a San Bruno park in 1981 and are now asking for the public’s help as the investigation into the cold case continues. Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle
Verb
  • The drought has also set the stage for devastating wildfires in Brazil that have destroyed huge swaths of the Amazon as well as the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands, and choked cities in thick smoke.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • For younger children, this is a matter of safety, as toys intended for older kids can contain small pieces that pose choking hazards or materials that aren’t safe to chew on.
    Anja Webb, Parents, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Between hugs and stifled tears, players walked up to sift through them.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The space was stifling in the Louisiana heat, so fans were blowing for everyone inside.
    Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The searing drama follows the titular socialite (Tessa Thompson) over the course of one opulent, suffocating party.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
  • As the Netflix series often attempted to bring light to the real mistreatment faced by incarcerated people, Poussey’s death at the hands of a police officer who suffocated her was intended to shed light on the real police brutality Black inmates in particular face.
    Catherine Mhloyi, Them., 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Higher rates reduce investment, spending, and economic activity, which naturally suppresses hiring.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The reason for this striking look is the inhibitor gene which suppresses pigment deposition at the base of the hair shaft, giving the cat the shimmering effect.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Burn a candle, for example, and the flame will quickly smother itself as smoke crowds around the wick with no oxygen to feed it.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Smothered Turf The wet leaves smother the grass by blocking sunlight, reducing photosynthesis, and slowing oxygen flow to the soil.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And businesses that have so far swallowed the tariffs without raising prices may not be able to for much longer.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The earth opened and swallowed my father, literally.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • When the bodies of the drowned are retrieved, they’re sent to Alexandroupoli to be identified.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • In an effort to save their relationship, Smith drowned her two young sons.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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