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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocate
That design choice is what makes the whole series feel so suffocating — you’re trapped inside Rachel’s dread.
—
Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The Wave have been suffocating teams defensively, and that continued on Saturday night, with Chicago not recording a shot until the 70th minute.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Today, two small new volcanoes are growing out of its bay, and another one called Kolumbo — capable of producing fearsome tsunamis and clouds of suffocating gases — lurks underwater just offshore.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Panicked employees leaped into elevator shafts, were crushed at exits, suffocated in smoke, burned, or trapped by flames.
—Christina Ray Stanton, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The Wave have been suffocating teams defensively, and that continued on Saturday night, with Chicago not recording a shot until the 70th minute.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Today, two small new volcanoes are growing out of its bay, and another one called Kolumbo — capable of producing fearsome tsunamis and clouds of suffocating gases — lurks underwater just offshore.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Panicked employees leaped into elevator shafts, were crushed at exits, suffocated in smoke, burned, or trapped by flames.
—Christina Ray Stanton, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
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The emerging uproar could prove costly for Swalwell if his fundraising dries up, strangling his ability to run campaign ads, or if unions and other groups that endorsed his campaign begin to retract their decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Horner, a former FedEx driver who abducted the child while delivering a package to her home, told a false story about hitting the little girl with his truck and then strangling her in a panic, Espinoza testified.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Milne had grabbed his wife by the neck, choked her, dragged her around, restrained her, punched her and knocked her unconscious.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Hospital staff later found her husband choking and struggling to breathe.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to the wrongful death complaint filed against Yale New Haven Health, the largest healthcare provider in the state, Hylton visited the emergency room at its Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus because of abdominal pain and vomiting on the morning of August 14, 2024.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
8 Apr. 2026
-
At lunch, Dix refused to eat and later vomited.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tens of thousands fled by boat from Hue, many drowning in the attempt, and by the end of March a million refugees—soldiers, civilians, whole extended families—were clogging Route 7B, a major highway, trying to get farther south.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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One was a young man from West Africa, who survived the dangerous journey by sea to the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean, where tens of thousands of migrants have drowned.—
Norah O'Donnell,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For the second game in a row, Mike Hastings’ Wisconsin Badgers smothered their opponent for much of the 60 minutes.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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When temperatures drop, turn to comfort-food classics (like breaded or smothered pork chops) and serve them with one of our favorite hearty mashed potato recipes.—
Wini Moranville,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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