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
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
The empty meadows that stretch into the background of Steve’s drawing were part of Wanda’s wish-landscape; a place where the two of them might have escaped the suffocating homophobic culture the Church imposed.
—Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 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 Patriots’ defense is suffocating against the run when Milton Williams and Robert Spillane share the field.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
The empty meadows that stretch into the background of Steve’s drawing were part of Wanda’s wish-landscape; a place where the two of them might have escaped the suffocating homophobic culture the Church imposed.
—Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocating
Adjective
-
Over the years, Grey and Pollan have remained close, often supporting one another through personal and professional milestones.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The bus depot is two stories beneath the train platform and several blocks from the closest stairway.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Reuters reported that the medals featured a safety clip, intended to snap off when pulled forcefully to prevent the ribbon from strangling.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The Federal Reserve is handcuffed, unable to cut rates without reigniting inflation, yet unable to hold them without strangling growth.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The characteristics and size of the small starch clumps could constitute a choking hazard, said Mondelez Global, which owns the brand, particularly in young children and the elderly.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Check your cookie stash for Chips Ahoy products that could contain a choking hazard.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
People can experience stomach cramping, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting within 24 hours after ingesting a toxic mushroom and the situation can quickly deteriorate after that, experts say.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
People can have stomach cramping, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting within 24 hours after ingesting a toxic mushroom and the situation can quickly deteriorate after that, experts say.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Seahawks defensive front was stifling, sacking Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye six times.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Wolverines’ school-record nine-game winning streak in Big Ten games was snapped by a big and experienced team that plays stifling defense and is led by a 6-foot-7 preseason All-America center who does it all.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Casting two of the most smoldering contemporary actors on the planet clearly stacks the deck, and carries on the long tradition of pairing a dashing figure of brooding handsomeness (Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes) with a breathless screen beauty (Merle Oberon, Juliette Binoche).—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This slow, visible retreat of ice colors every breathless hike, every chilly swim, every preposterously pretty train ride.—
Alice Gregory,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Seahawks never lost again, capping the season by smothering the New England Patriots in a 29-13 victory in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday night.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Overall, Seattle is hardly ever in base defense, utilizing a smothering hybrid scheme, often employing extra DBs in a big nickel look.—
Hank Gola,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some more civilized tenants, the sweet but stuffy textile heir Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) and his sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), move into the estate next door.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
And who shall arrive to shake him out of his stuffy ways?—
New York Times,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocating. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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