1
as in choking
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 throttling
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 stifling
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 strangling
Now the road blocks strangling La Paz have entered their fourth week.
—
ABC News, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors accuse Farwell of strangling Birchmore to death in February 2021 inside her Canton apartment.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 26 May 2026
After being arrested for a parole violation, Davis admitted to taking Klaas from her home, strangling her and hiding her remains.
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Luis Benitez-Gonzalez, a 26-year-old previously deported Mexican national, is accused of strangling two women in the area of Austin, Texas, in 2018 and 2024.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Or there’s the case of the Florida woman accused of strangling and robbing her own friend for money to buy drugs.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Lee is accused of strangling Christa.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2026
He’s accused of strangling Anna Kepner while the two of them shared a room on the Carnival Horizon.
—David Goodhue
april 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 27 May 2026
Prosecutors accuse Farwell of strangling Birchmore to death in February 2021 inside her Canton apartment.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 26 May 2026
After being arrested for a parole violation, Davis admitted to taking Klaas from her home, strangling her and hiding her remains.
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Luis Benitez-Gonzalez, a 26-year-old previously deported Mexican national, is accused of strangling two women in the area of Austin, Texas, in 2018 and 2024.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Or there’s the case of the Florida woman accused of strangling and robbing her own friend for money to buy drugs.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Lee is accused of strangling Christa.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2026
He’s accused of strangling Anna Kepner while the two of them shared a room on the Carnival Horizon.
—David Goodhue
april 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangling
Verb
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Now she is stuck with three long term leases choking her cash flow like a noose around her neck.—
George Deeb,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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Keaton’s friend, director Dennis Dugan, was at risk of choking to death when a bit of food got lodged in his throat.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Players from the top European teams, like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, had already played sixty matches during their regular seasons, before taking to pitches in heat-dome temperatures of ninety-seven degrees and stifling humidity.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Everyone was very, very, very religious, but specifically Christianity and Catholicism, which in my opinion are very stifling religions that are very God-fearing.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
In a skeptical market drowning in content and choice, the only sustainable strategy is being the most helpful person in the room—not the loudest or the pushiest.—
William DeCourcy,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
In 2022, at a meeting of the Council of Europe, a human-rights organization, Infantino suggested that holding the World Cup more often might prevent so many African refugees from drowning in the Mediterranean.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Identifying and naming my jealousy has done far more for me than suppressing it ever did.—
Meehika Barua,
Time,
29 May 2026
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The platform then identifies what is suppressing that number and maps a concrete path to close it, whether through negotiation positioning, skill prioritization or career moves that maximize earning trajectory.—
Ascend Agency,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Those with dry, congestion-prone skin should avoid it, as thick overnight layers can quickly convert from soothing to suffocating.—
Tatiana Dias,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
-
Brine is a super-concentrated, suffocating saltwater sludge, which kills marine life.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
Verb
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One very rare risk is Naegleria fowleri, which can infect people when contaminated warm freshwater enters the nose—not from swallowing water.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
1 June 2026
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Avoid swallowing water or getting it up your nose while swimming to lower your risk of giardia and other waterborne parasites.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Pete Sampras and John McEnroe used their power serves and smothering net games.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
The heat in the car is like an aunt who does not stop smothering us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangling. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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