as in close
lacking fresh air
inside the bunker it was suffocating, and some of the men had already passed out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in strangling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in choking
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
temporarily suffocated by the seat belt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vomiting
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe
suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocating
Peter Bart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Doors and windows were locked, producing a suffocating effect in the hot weather.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Adjective
Its suffocating Puritanic culture is suddenly rocked by an exhilarating theater movement fostering the likes of Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus, but also by an underground of intrigue and dissent that’s hatching schemes to blow up Parliament and extinguish royal rule.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Doors and windows were locked, producing a suffocating effect in the hot weather.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
The airport originally closed three TSA checkpoints on March 18, amid a Department of Homeland Security shutdown that was suffocating airports across the country.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocating
Adjective
-
Xi said China and Russia need to use closer and stronger strategic collaboration to defend the legitimate interests of both nations and safeguard the unity of Global South countries, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, the dispatcher works on alerting one of the 17 closest fire stations.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Sadie Robertson experienced every parent's worst nightmare when her 8-month-old daughter, Kit, stopped breathing after choking on a snack.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But what exactly does choking access to the region’s oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz mean and what does Trump want to accomplish?—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The father, Jagdish, told me that one of his children was vomiting and the other had bloody stools; both were depressed.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Jolene struggled after the surgery and was vomiting and passing out frequently.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her mother, who had a staid upbringing in California, came to New York in the early sixties looking for someplace more diverse and less stifling.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Rockets are a physical team that also plays smothering defense.—
Broderick Turner
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
That’s because the universe was full of relatively cool, light-smothering hydrogen, which scarcely emitted any light of its own.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ford’s airtight thriller marks some of the finest work done by those on either side of the camera, blending breathless thrills and effortless character work.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
After police arrived, the family’s breathless au pair shared a harrowing story with them outside in the driveway.—
Dateline NBC,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In response to a question about how Baltimore Police handle missing persons investigations and reports of drowning around the waterfront, spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge pointed The Sun toward the department’s public policy on missing person investigations.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Apr. 2026
-
In 1984, Lynn's eldest son, Jack Benny Lynn, died at the age of 34 in a drowning accident while attempting to cross a river on horseback at the family's ranch in Hurricane Mills.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocating. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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