as in strangles
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 throttles
Health care costs have risen dramatically faster than the spending cap set by TABOR, which in turn throttles other aspects of the state budget.
—
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Gordon throttles Rankin, establishes six man dynasty Gordon defeated Rankin 69-22 in the Class 1A Division I six man state championship with a walk off touchdown Wednesday to claim its third consecutive state title.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Dec. 2025
Bills defense throttles Steelers offense Buffalo survived, little thanks to its offense.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
As the West throttles its science, China is racing ahead.
—Michael Jäger, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Gordon throttles Rankin, establishes six man dynasty Gordon defeated Rankin 69-22 in the Class 1A Division I six man state championship with a walk off touchdown Wednesday to claim its third consecutive state title.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Dec. 2025
Bills defense throttles Steelers offense Buffalo survived, little thanks to its offense.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
As the West throttles its science, China is racing ahead.
—Michael Jäger, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttles
Verb
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Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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What starts as an innocent father/daughter college visit takes a shocking turn when Tony brutally strangles a Mob turncoat.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Group of Seven finance ministers are set to discuss a possible joint release of oil reserves on Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, as the Middle East war chokes flows from the region and sends prices soaring.—
Alberto Nardelli,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Their inclusion on the recent flight comes as the United States chokes the nation’s oil supplies in a bid for negotiations that could end up in regime change, sparking questions about whether Cuba will take more deportations to ease the political and economic pressure.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throttles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttles. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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