strangling

verb

present participle of strangle
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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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

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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

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 strangling In December 2023, Sarah Steele accused Jacob Wulfson, a US air force captain also based at Lakenheath, of drugging, assaulting and strangling her after meeting via a dating app. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 8 July 2026 Another 74-year-old, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to die July 14 for strangling an 18-year-old woman in Broward County on New Year’s Eve 1981. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026 Not cut the taxes strangling working families and British business. — Alastair Grant, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Instead of having a thousand flowers bloom, a thousand weeds end up strangling them. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026 Sochor was convicted of the rape and strangling of 18-year-old Patricia Gifford after meeting her at a New Year's celebration in 1981. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 June 2026 Johnson, 42, was accused of raping and strangling an 18-year-old woman during an attack that lasted six hours in 2024. — Cbs Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 22 June 2026 The case was resurrected in 2012, however, when Hernandez’s brother-in-law told authorities that Hernandez, now 64, had confessed to strangling a boy many years before. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 Heuermann, 62, admitted in April to strangling eight women and leaving their remains in remote areas of Long Island between 1993 and 2010, which have been dubbed the Gilgo Beach killings. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangling
  1. choking
  2. stifling
  3. drowning
  4. suppressing
  5. suffocating
  6. swallowing
  7. smothering
Verb
  • Since babies explore with their mouths, the balls could become a choking hazard.
    — Sari Hitchins, Parents, 6 July 2026
  • The brand has received no reports of injury or death but did warn that consuming the metal and plastic parts could cause choking, lacerations or blockages in the gastrointestinal tract.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of choking
Verb
  • Cubans strolled along el Paseo del Prado promenade in the inky night, desperate to escape the stifling heat of their homes.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • There was criticism from some Republicans, who said the commissioner had gone too far and was stifling free speech.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of stifling
Verb
  • Investigation and potential parental charges While the medical response faces scrutiny, local law enforcement is focusing on the events leading up to the near-drowning.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • The death marked the fourth fatal drowning on the Lake of the Ozarks in 2026, according to the patrol’s data.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • This prescription treatment works by suppressing ovarian hormone production while providing add-back hormones to help regulate the hormone levels and help manage symptoms over time.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 14 July 2026
  • And Syracuse University seemed more interested in suppressing news of a rape epidemic than solving it.
    — ProPublica, ProPublica, 14 July 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • Huge parts Europe have been suffocating under a stubborn heat dome parked over the continent, trapping hot air and leading to extreme and dangerous heat and humidity.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • The conception of the role, marked by a dim view of stardom’s suffocating alienation, was something Jolie clearly understood.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of suffocating
Verb
  • Stopa went on the run, later killing herself by swallowing poison in a Detroit hotel room.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • Some of the ways a person can get infected is by drinking untreated water, washing or watering fresh produce with contaminated water, or swallowing contaminated water from swimming pools, hot tubs and lakes, according to Cleveland Clinic.
    — Michelle Marchante July 10, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of swallowing
Verb
  • Like English ivy, kudzu spreads very aggressively, smothering out native species and potentially becoming a real problem for your garden.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026
  • The Boston Bruins would like to incorporate the Hurricanes’ smothering defense and relentless attack.
    — Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of smothering

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strangles
strangling
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Cite this Entry

“Strangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangling. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on strangling

Nglish: Translation of strangling for Spanish Speakers

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