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
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2025
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
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 24 May 2026
But his chairmanship’s suffocating high interest rates created a palatable cure.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Adjective
Those laughs are balanced with real world issues, and a longing for these gentlewomen locked into the suffocating zeitgeist of early 1800s British Regency.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
Rosen tells Deadline that the concept of the twisty, often buoyant thriller came about during the pandemic, while meditating on his wife’s myriad responsibilities and the increasingly suffocating terms of our digital existence.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 24 May 2026
But his chairmanship’s suffocating high interest rates created a palatable cure.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocating
Adjective
-
Beto was close to unplayable up front, while James Garner and Dewsbury-Hall buzzed around in midfield.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Trump faces increasing pressure to secure a deal that ends the conflict and reopens the Strait of Hormuz after signaling that both sides were close to an agreement.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Now the road blocks strangling La Paz have entered their fourth week.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
-
Prosecutors accuse Farwell of strangling Birchmore to death in February 2021 inside her Canton apartment.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The highlight came when Kenny Omega tried to smoke a cigar, only to start choking as his peers looked on in disgust.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
-
Referees can be seen waving a frantic conclusion to the proceedings just as one fighter is choking another to the point of blackout.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
If your dog’s panting is accompanied by episodes of collapse, pale or blue-tinged gums, inability to walk, vomiting, or not eating, take it to an emergency clinic immediately.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Clarke recalled crawling to the bathroom and vomiting from the pain before realizing something was seriously wrong.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
For all the deserved talk about the Knicks’ dynamic offense, the defense has been far more stifling than their reputation suggests.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
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
-
Pete Sampras and John McEnroe used their power serves and smothering net games.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
The heat in the car is like an aunt who does not stop smothering us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s also much breathless appreciation of the fact that everything in the movie (like Summertime and Kwai) was real, giving the films an immersive quality that’s seldom equaled in the digital age.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
-
Contrary to months of breathless headlines, the president’s base never deserted him and continues to punish those who defy him.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Contributing factors include drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, the medical examiner said.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
27 May 2026
-
Before this expansion, VenHub was drowning in its own success, racking up high-profile partnerships with heavy hitters such as LAX/Metro and Circa Resort & Casino while lacking the raw physical capacity to actually build the hardware.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocating. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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