as in strangling
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 throttling
Before upgrading, consider testing your current speed, optimizing your Wi-Fi setup and checking if your provider is throttling your connection.
—
Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The late icon strapped himself into his guitar while throttling songs in Shellac and Big Black, changing how menacing a punk riff could sound.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2025
View gallery - 6 images Californian e-mobility outfit Viribus has launched a new electric trike family, with tasty specs like a 1,200-W peak motor on offer for pedaling or throttling up inclines, as well as dual shocks, rear differential, and a two-step folding design.
—New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
The Warriors continued to prove their one of the top girls soccer teams in the state by throttling Tri-Valley League rival Dover-Sherborn, 5-0, at the home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution on Thursday.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throttling
Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The late icon strapped himself into his guitar while throttling songs in Shellac and Big Black, changing how menacing a punk riff could sound.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2025
View gallery - 6 images Californian e-mobility outfit Viribus has launched a new electric trike family, with tasty specs like a 1,200-W peak motor on offer for pedaling or throttling up inclines, as well as dual shocks, rear differential, and a two-step folding design.
—New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
The Warriors continued to prove their one of the top girls soccer teams in the state by throttling Tri-Valley League rival Dover-Sherborn, 5-0, at the home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution on Thursday.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throttling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttling
Verb
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Becky is dehydrated and delirious, but manages to nourish herself after strangling and eating a vulture that attacked her on the platform.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
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With a three-decade record of violent crime that includes strangling a pregnant woman and firing a shotgun under a person's chin, McKay was scheduled to stand trial next month on methamphetamine trafficking charges that could have locked him up for 25 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Check the tightness of your jewelry periodically (with clean hands) to prevent swallowing or choking if the jewelry becomes loose.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Feb. 2026
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Hari was babysitting the child at the time, and told authorities that the child fell backwards while eating and began choking.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throttling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttling. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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