suffocates

present tense third-person singular of suffocate
1
as in strangles
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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2
as in chokes
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

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

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Cite this Entry

“Suffocates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocates. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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