Synonyms of suffocate

suffocate

verb

ˈsə-fə-ˌkāt 

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

• strangle
• choke
• drown
• smother
• stifle
• destroy
• asphyxiate
• throttle
• slay
• fell
• garrote
• dispatch
• croak
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• inhale
• revive
• exhale
• resuscitate

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

• strangle
• choke
• throttle
• asphyxiate
• smother
• garrote
• stifle
• scrag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• revive
• resuscitate

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

• choke
• vomit
• gag
• heave
• smother
• stifle
• throw up
• asphyxiate
• retch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• respire
• expire

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of suffocate

Similar in stature to Riq Woolen, Jones has a rare 6-4 frame for a cornerback, with the length and speed to suffocate receivers. — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

With a suffocating debt and pension load, and another looming budget deficit, Chicago cannot afford incoherence on this important fiscal and social issue. — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

On the other hand, tiny pots might suffocate roots and increase the demand for water. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2026

Irish authorities are reportedly seeking a warrant to extradite the primary suspect in the brutal murder of Jamey Carney, a 43-year-old New York mother found beaten and suffocated in her Killarney home last month. — Louis Casiano , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026