1
as in chokes
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
as in throttles
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
3
as in stifles
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strangles
Their target, Yousaf (Rahul Khanna), strangles the young trainee Annelise (Gillian Alexy) to death—making for a second botched operation in one episode.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
Nate comes back to life and strangles Cassie in a dark green Bottega Veneta suit, then Maddy saves her.
—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
Over-regulation strangles the economy!
—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Ground cover plants around trees can lead to root girdling—where the cover essentially strangles the tree, threatening its health.
—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
As Iran strangles the Strait of Hormuz, countries have scrambled for alternative routes.
—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
As Grace looks on in horror, her soon-to-be husband strangles Ursula and snaps her neck.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
What worked at ten employees strangles progress at one hundred.
—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
Nate comes back to life and strangles Cassie in a dark green Bottega Veneta suit, then Maddy saves her.
—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
Over-regulation strangles the economy!
—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Ground cover plants around trees can lead to root girdling—where the cover essentially strangles the tree, threatening its health.
—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
As Iran strangles the Strait of Hormuz, countries have scrambled for alternative routes.
—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
As Grace looks on in horror, her soon-to-be husband strangles Ursula and snaps her neck.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
What worked at ten employees strangles progress at one hundred.
—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangles
Verb
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Remove chokes from artichokes and steam in small amount of water for 15 minutes, adding water to pan as needed.
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Connecticut’s largest cities also struggle with the state’s highest property tax rates, which chokes business growth and, in turn, shifts more burden onto residential owners.
Verb
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Micromanagement stifles creativity, motivation, and productivity.
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That stifles competition at home and, with China’s dependence on global consumption, raises concerns about dumping and deflation abroad.
Verb
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The tension suffocates as He-Man reaches for his Power Sword, but Skeletor isn't backing down here either.
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More than the page itself, the routine summons the part of his conscience that survives on muscle memory and suffocates uncertainty.
Verb
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Healthy soil retains more water, cycles more nutrients and suppresses more pests, all work that conventional operations purchase as fertilizer, irrigation and insecticide.
-
Cardboard suppresses weeds, enriches soil, and is useful for new garden beds as sheet mulching or a base layer.
Verb
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Up in the attic, a melty miasma smothers the thick winter coats, which hurt me to even look at.
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But needy, possessive Nikki smothers Bear, and what plays out is a horrifying tale of obsessive love gone wrong — sour, curdled and violent.
Verb
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In an ideal world, Blueger lines up as the middleman of an energetic fourth line that swallows up defensive-zone draws.
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Dark wood furniture swallows light and takes up floor space in hallways.
Verb
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Drenching the nest and surrounding area with water drowns workers and possibly the queen, which disrupts the colony.
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The more militants are killed, the deeper the city drowns in militant Shia iconography.
Verb
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Arrrives, destroys Femi and hands Main Event Jey the crown.
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University of Idaho students and faculty have already been involved in research using AI to improve worker safety and to understand more about ALS, a neurological disorder that destroys nerve cells.
Cite this Entry
“Strangles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangles. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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