as in to choke
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe I was so angry at what he was saying that I could have throttled him!

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of throttle Argentine bonds were among the best performers in emerging markets last year but had been throttled by volatility amid the Buenos Aires results and US support package. Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025 What to Know Trump said Sunday that his administration would import beef from Argentina to help tackle persistently high prices as the supply is throttled by drought, a flesh-eating pest and other issues affecting cattle. Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025 That extreme heat forces systems to throttle the performance of CPUs and GPUs to avoid degrading the chips. IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2025 Lockdowns throttled economic activity and squeezed tax revenue, while public spending surged as governments tried to protect the most vulnerable. Editorial, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for throttle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttle
Verb
  • The drought has also set the stage for devastating wildfires in Brazil that have destroyed huge swaths of the Amazon as well as the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands, and choked cities in thick smoke.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • For younger children, this is a matter of safety, as toys intended for older kids can contain small pieces that pose choking hazards or materials that aren’t safe to chew on.
    Anja Webb, Parents, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The man previously on Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker — before lighting a blaze to destroy key evidence — should be condemned to die, Miami prosecutors told a jury after detailing the slaying on Wednesday morning.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Their strategy seems to be to strangle the capital and provoke unrest against the military junta.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Throttle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttle. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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