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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocates
What did work in one of the older movies, though, was the Oxygen Destroyer device, which effectively suffocates the creature.
—
Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Complexity is exactly what suffocates scale.
—May Habib, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Both novel and opera include a scene in which Salvador Dalí almost suffocates after getting his head stuck in a scuba helmet at an art opening.
—Emma Allen, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
Aristidou utilizes Danae, whose controlling dad suffocates her with his seemingly overbearing rigidness, as a counterpoint to the other extreme of fatherhood.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Overwatering is the most common cause of yellow ficus leaves, as soggy soil suffocates roots.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
When the truth is crushed in one place, freedom suffocates everywhere.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
When the truth is crushed in one place, freedom suffocates everywhere.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Jan. 2026
Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Complexity is exactly what suffocates scale.
—May Habib, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Both novel and opera include a scene in which Salvador Dalí almost suffocates after getting his head stuck in a scuba helmet at an art opening.
—Emma Allen, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
Aristidou utilizes Danae, whose controlling dad suffocates her with his seemingly overbearing rigidness, as a counterpoint to the other extreme of fatherhood.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Overwatering is the most common cause of yellow ficus leaves, as soggy soil suffocates roots.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
When the truth is crushed in one place, freedom suffocates everywhere.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
When the truth is crushed in one place, freedom suffocates everywhere.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocates
Verb
-
Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
What starts as an innocent father/daughter college visit takes a shocking turn when Tony brutally strangles a Mob turncoat.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Like other invasive plants, stinknet chokes native plants and increases fire risk.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With fuel and freight prices skyrocketing as war chokes the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal is seeing more business than usual.—
Elizabeth González,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Absinthe-eyed, she projectile-vomits blunt observations and also oysters onto the heavies, overimbibing her way into her own grave once she’s inevitably discarded with a shot and shove down a stairwell (a barely-there John Magaro plays one of the gangsters).—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2026
-
There’s a scene in which Frank meets his own idol, an alt-world version of Fred Astaire (played by Gyllenhaal’s brother Jake, who is good at mugging and singing), and vomits his fandom at him until the actor recoils.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pieces knit together to form a cast iron surface that sheds water, smothers weeds and holds up for a long time.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
-
On the latter, Bollywood royalty Asha Bhosle, 92, sings in Hindi of setting sail to the other side, but Albarn smothers her beneath heraldic bursts of Disneyfied psych-pop.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After 81 nearly drowns during an underwater drill, the regiment leaders (played by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales) express concern that his PTSD from losing his brother might put him at risk or affect the team.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
-
When Christina drowns herself for a second time, Baron Frankenstein is confronted by the unpredictability of stitching together dead flesh—his female creation is capable of reckoning with her past suffering.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nothing stifles a good time like being stressed about what is going on at home without any way to intervene.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Some parents have no issue monitoring and restricting how kids are using social media, AI chat bots, and even texting apps to keep them safe, while others worry too much oversight is an invasion of privacy and stifles their child's ability to develop independence.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffocates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocates. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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