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
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Recent Examples of strangling
At his hearing Tuesday, Adams admitted strangling Murray himself.
—
William Morris, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
His criminal history included convictions for robbery, kidnapping and attempting to kill a corrections officer by strangling him.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
The serial killers, later revealed to be cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, were accused of kidnapping, raping and strangling 10 women between October 1977 and February 1978.
—Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
An upstate New York man already serving time for fatally strangling a 32‑year‑old mother of two has been sentenced to additional prison time after pleading guilty to killing his cellmate.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Fujita was 20 in 2013 when he was found guilty of strangling and stabbing his former high school girlfriend to death in Wayland.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
This month, 11 alleged TdA members were indicted in New Mexico, accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating and strangling to death a man in Albuquerque and burying his body in a remote desert grave, The Center Square reported.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Viverette is also accused of strangling his girlfriend and taking her dog earlier on Tuesday.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Dec. 2025
Pieper's ex-boyfriend allegedly admitted to strangling her, hiding her body in a suitcase and burying it in the forest.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 30 Nov. 2025
William Morris, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
His criminal history included convictions for robbery, kidnapping and attempting to kill a corrections officer by strangling him.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
The serial killers, later revealed to be cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, were accused of kidnapping, raping and strangling 10 women between October 1977 and February 1978.
—Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
An upstate New York man already serving time for fatally strangling a 32‑year‑old mother of two has been sentenced to additional prison time after pleading guilty to killing his cellmate.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Fujita was 20 in 2013 when he was found guilty of strangling and stabbing his former high school girlfriend to death in Wayland.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
This month, 11 alleged TdA members were indicted in New Mexico, accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating and strangling to death a man in Albuquerque and burying his body in a remote desert grave, The Center Square reported.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Viverette is also accused of strangling his girlfriend and taking her dog earlier on Tuesday.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Dec. 2025
Pieper's ex-boyfriend allegedly admitted to strangling her, hiding her body in a suitcase and burying it in the forest.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangling
Verb
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The child, who had been choking on mucus, was taken to Jacobi Hospital as a precaution and is doing well, police said.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Braddy’s criminal history included convictions for robbery, kidnapping and attempting to kill a corrections officer by choking him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Just two days after the Colorado Avalanche came into Detroit and rolled to a 5-0 win, the Red Wings returned the favor with a stifling defensive performance to win 2-0 in Denver.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Playing rival McCallum roughly 24 hours after the game was postponed from Friday night due to water issues at the Knights' campus, the Trojans used a stifling second-half defensive effort for a 46-35 win at Burger Center to take a two-game lead in the district standings.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Those that don’t will continue drowning in data while feeling increasingly blind.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The body horror depicted in the 11-episode first season is a sight to behold, from botched facelifts to the varied beauty births, the season is drowning in blood, guts, vomit and an abundance of other unseemly bodily fluids.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The nerves that Landfair had been suppressing only show as the interview winds down, letting out a relieved and shaky breath after answering the last question.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
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Outside the cell, the ATP is converted into adenosine, which acts on neurons — in this case, by exciting neurons that inhibit swimming and suppressing swim neurons.—
Ingrid Wickelgren,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The second was a suffocating 25-4 run that covered nearly five minutes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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Georgia will surely be ready and focused on its home floor following two consecutive losses, but Bucky Ball and its suffocating style from a fresh A&M team will be too much for the Bulldogs.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Marvel cinematic universe has a reputation for swallowing up directors and stripping them of any of their personal artistic sensibilities in favor of the MCU’s house style.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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Wang emphasizes that accidentally swallowing an occasional lemon or grapefruit seed poses no meaningful risk for healthy adults.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Celtics opened with one of their most dominant quarters of the season, outscoring the Blazers 32-11 through balanced offense and smothering defense.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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With Stalin’s large standing army smothering half of Europe, and his fledgling nuclear arsenal extending Moscow’s ambitions overseas, America had to scramble.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangling. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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