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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Former Ohio State long snapper Michael Roen McCullough was arrested in Columbus early Friday morning after allegedly punching his girlfriend and strangling her during an argument, according to police records.
—
Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Visualizing the ropes of the nets twisting around the necks of these animals, slowly strangling, choking, running out of oxygen.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
More than 80 percent of the invasive plants strangling native ecosystems in Indiana originate from landscaping and horticulture introductions, according to the Hamilton County Invasives Partnership, which runs the trade-in program with the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025
La Jolla Shores residents want this street to be open with cafe dining, and therefore an end to the merchants’ giant delivery trucks strangling traffic and endangering pedestrians.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
At the time of his conviction, Jones was serving a 30-year prison sentence for assaulting and strangling another woman in 2001, according to the Journal Sentinel.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Cartwright, 61, was found guilty last week of raping and fatally strangling Samantha Mickleburgh, his 54-year-old ex-fiance, in April 2024.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The man intervened, officials said, but Reed overcame him and ended up strangling him until bystanders stepped in.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2025
He was recently arrested in April for strangling the mother of his child unconscious, according to Palm Beach County court records.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Visualizing the ropes of the nets twisting around the necks of these animals, slowly strangling, choking, running out of oxygen.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
More than 80 percent of the invasive plants strangling native ecosystems in Indiana originate from landscaping and horticulture introductions, according to the Hamilton County Invasives Partnership, which runs the trade-in program with the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025
La Jolla Shores residents want this street to be open with cafe dining, and therefore an end to the merchants’ giant delivery trucks strangling traffic and endangering pedestrians.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
At the time of his conviction, Jones was serving a 30-year prison sentence for assaulting and strangling another woman in 2001, according to the Journal Sentinel.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Cartwright, 61, was found guilty last week of raping and fatally strangling Samantha Mickleburgh, his 54-year-old ex-fiance, in April 2024.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The man intervened, officials said, but Reed overcame him and ended up strangling him until bystanders stepped in.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2025
He was recently arrested in April for strangling the mother of his child unconscious, according to Palm Beach County court records.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangling
Verb
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Eating dry chia seeds without a liquid may increase the risk of choking.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
27 Aug. 2025
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Jaworski was arrested May 22 in connection with holding a woman down and choking her March 24, police said.—
Dennis Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Consider the type of AI tool that your business needs to succeed, and begin to strategically introduce and layer the technology in a way that feels supportive, not stifling.—
Eyal Lifshitz,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Broader questions about salary and a new contract are claimed to be stifling Stern's return and amping up the speculation about the next phase of his career.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The autopsy report also noted drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine — a drug used to treat opioid use disorder — as contributing to his death at the age of 54.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
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Avoid drowning leaders in dashboards — insight without relevance is just noise.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In this growing method, fruit trees are grown near particular companion plants that benefit fruit tree growth, such as pest-repelling flowers, soil-improving legumes, or weed-suppressing groundcovers.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Sep. 2025
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Practical strategies to keep anger in check Great leaders understand that emotional discipline is not about suppressing feelings but instead channeling them productively.—
Dr. Cynthia J. Young,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Scale without innovation becomes suffocating, not protective.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Another strange inclusion was a strange robot that looked like a giant white rubber globe that bounced and rolled around the place, engulfing and suffocating anyone who tried to escape or just got out of line.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This can make swallowing painful.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
4 Sep. 2025
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These cosmic enigmas defy our everyday understanding of space and time, swallowing light and matter and pushing the laws of physics to the extreme.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Naomi is a textbook Jewish mother, nagging and cajoling and smothering her children with logorrheic abandon.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
22 Aug. 2025
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Led by Parker, Allen has star power and depth reminiscent of the smothering 2017 to 2019 units the allowed less than 290 yards per game.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangling. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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