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
Disruptions lasted more than 120,000 hours, as governments increasingly relied on blackouts, platform bans, and throttling to control access.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026
Edmonton showed off its postseason poise in Game 5, throttling the Ducks in a 4-1 victory and putting the onus on their inexperienced opponents to finish off the series.
—Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
This game had everything — but seemingly no one could anticipate the New York Knicks would throttle the Hawks by 51 points (140-89) in a Game 6 that already had the latter team on the ropes.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The government in recent months has imposed restrictions including blocking or throttling popular apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throttle
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026
Edmonton showed off its postseason poise in Game 5, throttling the Ducks in a 4-1 victory and putting the onus on their inexperienced opponents to finish off the series.
—Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
This game had everything — but seemingly no one could anticipate the New York Knicks would throttle the Hawks by 51 points (140-89) in a Game 6 that already had the latter team on the ropes.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The government in recent months has imposed restrictions including blocking or throttling popular apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throttle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttle
Verb
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The intensifying conflict in the Middle East has choked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for roughly 20% of the world’s oil, natural gas and critical raw materials.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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The lawsuit also claims officers choked Day and slammed him against a wall, eventually coercing him into confessing to killing Irving and Garcia.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Just as with Weaver, Vesey was bound with electrical cords before she was raped and strangled, the papers state.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
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Luis Benitez-Gonzalez, a 26-year-old previously deported Mexican national, is accused of strangling two women in the area of Austin, Texas, in 2018 and 2024.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throttle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttle. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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