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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Recent Examples of throttle
Oil giants like Saudi Arabia and Iraq slashed production as their exports have been throttled by the Hormuz closure.
—
Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
The pattern broke at Sporting Park in Game 5 of the Wells era, where the Rapids throttled Sporting Kansas City 4-1 for their third win of the season.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Oil prices hit $119 a barrel before falling on Thursday, as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz throttled supply and Iran and Israel targeted regional energy infrastructure.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 Mar. 2026
The Iran war, now more than two weeks old, has faced low polling support among the public and spiked gas prices as Iran has throttled the Strait of Hormuz.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throttle
Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
The pattern broke at Sporting Park in Game 5 of the Wells era, where the Rapids throttled Sporting Kansas City 4-1 for their third win of the season.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Oil prices hit $119 a barrel before falling on Thursday, as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz throttled supply and Iran and Israel targeted regional energy infrastructure.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 Mar. 2026
The Iran war, now more than two weeks old, has faced low polling support among the public and spiked gas prices as Iran has throttled the Strait of Hormuz.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throttle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttle
Verb
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Some victims were physically assaulted, including one person who was choked to the point of nearly losing consciousness, according to court documents.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Iran controls the Straits of Hormuz, trade — especially in vital oil — is choked, and the price of gas at the pump already exceeds $4 a gallon.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The following month, a hit squad, reportedly acting on bin Salman’s orders, strangled Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist who had been critical of the regime, and used a bone saw to dismember his corpse.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Invasive vines like Virginia creeper, English ivy, and buckthorn can strangle trees, for example, and some aggressive trees may spread via underground suckers and roots.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throttle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttle. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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