1
as in to strangle
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocate
When complexity suffocates momentum, simplification isn’t failure.
—
Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Compared to the haze of Lollapalooza Day 1, the washout redux of NASCAR weekend and the action-alert heat that’s suffocated the city since June, Saturday afternoon in Grant Park was Chicago finally showing its best.
—Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
Embracing private relationships, then, is partly Gen Z’s way of rejecting the suffocating pressures of perfection and returning to the value of real-life displays of affection.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
Also, poultry can die from blood loss, toxins from the insect’s saliva, or from being suffocated by flies lodged in the animal’s airway.45
Black flies also impact wildlife, driving birds such as loons, whooping cranes, and snowy owls off their nests, which can disrupt breeding, says Gray.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Compared to the haze of Lollapalooza Day 1, the washout redux of NASCAR weekend and the action-alert heat that’s suffocated the city since June, Saturday afternoon in Grant Park was Chicago finally showing its best.
—Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
Embracing private relationships, then, is partly Gen Z’s way of rejecting the suffocating pressures of perfection and returning to the value of real-life displays of affection.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
Also, poultry can die from blood loss, toxins from the insect’s saliva, or from being suffocated by flies lodged in the animal’s airway.45
Black flies also impact wildlife, driving birds such as loons, whooping cranes, and snowy owls off their nests, which can disrupt breeding, says Gray.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
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The indictment alleges that Fisher strangled Appleby and knowingly concealed her death by hiding or moving her body, Runty said.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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But Iran perceived Trump’s ploy as nothing short of a bid to bring about regime change by strangling the country’s economy and degrading its state institutions to encourage popular rebellion.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Though so many clubs have choked on their own disco dust, the club-model actually works here, largely because the original home base, Maison Estelle, is still the toast of Mayfair, and artistic director Eiesha Pasricha understands how to create cool.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Use caution with toddlers who could choke on the kernels.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Birth control pills are extremely effective when used correctly, but college life is filled with irregular schedules, late nights, road trip weekends and, for some people — vomiting.—
Jill Grimes,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
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Max urinated and vomited on himself, went into cardiac arrest and ultimately, lost consciousness during his prolonged restraint.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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State troopers responded to the 38 mile marker of Fan Hollow Cove in Camden County around 12:15 a.m. following a reported drowning.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
23 Aug. 2025
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Columbia University student Miguel Cisneros, 19, drowned after jumping off Pratt Pier in the Rogers Park neighborhood for a swim.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Colson smothered Fisk just short of the first-down marker after Fisk made the reception.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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Additional lightning strikes from these types of clouds could set off new blazes or reignite areas crews have already smothered.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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