1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to choke
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to vomit
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 suffocate But if the high taxes suffocate the market, how viable could that be in the long run? The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025 Remove Leaves Leaves in your pond can clog filters and suffocate fish, a problem that's especially heightened from fall into winter. Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025 From there, the Tigers leaned on a defense that suffocated South Carolina’s run game and delivered key stops in the final minutes. Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025 Too much water can suffocate their roots. Viola Flowers, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
  • He was then stabbed and strangled to death, Evans said.
    Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Daryl charges inside and fights off walkers before strangling Chofo in the bathtub.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Previous unbeatens Florida State and USC — favorites — choked on the road.
    Manny Navarro, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • In the afterglow of her magnificent album, choke enough, and the birth of her first child, Marylou Mayniel decamps to the southwest of France.
    Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Rates of nausea and vomiting among those patients were 13% and 11% above placebo, respectively.
    Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Scout stayed at the vet for observation, coughing and vomiting throughout the period, and had her vitals rechecked several hours later.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • People fled to the roof, where the roar of rushing water nearly drowned out the approach of rescue helicopters, Mitchell said.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The risk of drowning for autistic children is more than 160 times greater than the general child population, according to a 2017 study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This flowy, breathable midi dress is going to provide coverage when a cool breeze comes through, without leaving you feeling smothered on a warm October day.
    Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Instead, the Cowboys played Cover 2, and that look was smothered, so Love checked the ball down to running back Emanuel Wilson, who tried to make cornerback DaRon Bland miss with an inside move but was tackled for a loss of 1 with the clock running.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on suffocate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!