SUFFOCATES Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

suffocates

verb

present tense third-person singular of suffocate

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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as in chokes

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

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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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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 suffocates Landscape fabric suffocates microorganisms, blocks nutrients, and degrades into microplastics. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026 The pure, post-Bee Gees charisma Bellamy mustered in the 2000s seems to have vacated him entirely, and the song’s funkiness suffocates under the flatness of his delivery. — Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 The tension suffocates as He-Man reaches for his Power Sword, but Skeletor isn't backing down here either. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 June 2026 More than the page itself, the routine summons the part of his conscience that survives on muscle memory and suffocates uncertainty. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 23 May 2026 Constantly soggy soil suffocates roots and invites rot — the plant equivalent of trench foot. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026 Most beginners assume more water equals healthier plants, but constantly soggy soil suffocates roots and triggers rot. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Complexity is exactly what suffocates scale. — May Habib, Fortune, 24 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocates

Verb

By the end of the show, Daya’s addiction has turned her into the prison’s drug lord, and her mother strangles her during the series finale.

— Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026
But the same instinct that makes a founder indispensable early is exactly what strangles the organization later.

— Daria Rudnik, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of strangles

Verb

Remove chokes from artichokes and steam in small amount of water for 15 minutes, adding water to pan as needed.

— Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Connecticut’s largest cities also struggle with the state’s highest property tax rates, which chokes business growth and, in turn, shifts more burden onto residential owners.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2026

Definition of chokes

Verb

Shows were led by a sentient wad of meat, a talk-show host who vomits in front of guests, and a reality-TV star who never shows his face.

— Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
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

Definition of vomits

Verb

Up in the attic, a melty miasma smothers the thick winter coats, which hurt me to even look at.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
But needy, possessive Nikki smothers Bear, and what plays out is a horrifying tale of obsessive love gone wrong — sour, curdled and violent.

— Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026

Definition of smothers

Verb

Most of the peril comes with dangerous ship-wrecking moments, including one that implies the death of Moana's relative, while our heroine herself almost drowns on her first voyage from land.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
The show involved bizarre, absurdist comedy premises — in one episode, a man drowns in a bowl of Mary’s chicken soup — and satirized the effects of consumerism on the American housewife.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of drowns

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suffocated

suffocates

suffocating

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“Suffocates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocates. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of suffocates

verb

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