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
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
For windy days, both Kristie and I use the Janji Balaclava, which does a great job of covering the majority of our faces without suffocating.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 11 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
Berry’s Sharon has some of the best lines in the film, playing a principled woman who is trapped and suffocating from a society that rewards the capitalist boys club.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
For windy days, both Kristie and I use the Janji Balaclava, which does a great job of covering the majority of our faces without suffocating.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocating
Adjective
-
The Bruins increased their advantage to 18 points on Dailey’s dunk less than five minutes into the second half and the visitors got no closer than nine the rest of the way.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Check the Tarrant County wait time map for the closest polling location and to check wait times for each party.—
Rachel Royster
Updated March 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He’s charged with strangling his former chef in December.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Becky is dehydrated and delirious, but manages to nourish herself after strangling and eating a vulture that attacked her on the platform.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Calicut was accused of choking Perkins and cutting her neck while stealing money and a phone from her home in 1999.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Recalled because a mixing error resulted in small cornstarch clumps in the product, resulting in a choking hazard.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two weeks later, Amalia started vomiting, then losing weight.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Two weeks later, Amalia started vomiting, then losing weight.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In winter, the air below the peaks can plunge into the Uco Valley, in a stifling zonda wind.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
But Army-Navy’s defense proved too stifling.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Yamamoto had worked six innings to win Game 6, and Glasnow had saved it with three outs on three breathless pitches.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The result is a surreal, almost breathless novel that follows the protagonist’s improbable rise as the Russian film industry’s directorial ingénue.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The series centers on Bode (Max Thieriot), an ex-con who finds redemption and purpose while smothering flames with the Cal Fire program.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
-
This list includes invasive species that spread across the landscape, smothering everything in their path (like kudzu, of course), as well as fast-growing native species, like trumpet vine and Virginia creeper, which spread quickly and can become a nuisance in yards and gardens.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Truth be told, the lobby café feels somewhat stuffy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Mix quilts, checks, and weathered wood for a nostalgic look that’s warm but not stuffy.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocating. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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