as in gasping
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty
he was wheezing rapidly after a hard run
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wheezing
Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Since October, her youngest, now 7, has been coughing and wheezing a lot, especially at night.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
Many of the cats were underweight with bones showing, and some suffering from respiratory infections were wheezing and had discharge around their eyes and noses.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Noah, however, couldn't run the length of a football field without wheezing.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Taken together, these factors can lead to children wheezing and experiencing difficulty breathing, leaving them with bluish colored skin from a lack of oxygen.
—Michael Cromer, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Southampton gave it a good go last season, but ultimately fell short, wheezing over the line with 12.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Since October, her youngest, now 7, has been coughing and wheezing a lot, especially at night.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
Many of the cats were underweight with bones showing, and some suffering from respiratory infections were wheezing and had discharge around their eyes and noses.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Noah, however, couldn't run the length of a football field without wheezing.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Taken together, these factors can lead to children wheezing and experiencing difficulty breathing, leaving them with bluish colored skin from a lack of oxygen.
—Michael Cromer, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Southampton gave it a good go last season, but ultimately fell short, wheezing over the line with 12.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wheezing
Verb
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Cut taxes and/or cut state payroll, or wait until the next report finds yet more residents leaving the state, taking their revenue with them, and a state budget gasping for air.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2026
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Within minutes, revellers were gasping for breath; their nostrils quivered, their lips turned blue.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Signs include panting, a hoarse bark, scuffing or dragging their toes along the ground, and sometimes regurgitation or swallowing problems.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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Peter waltzes through an indistinguishable parade of such parties, high as a kite on some drug or another, at one point getting pulled into a panting threesome with another guy and handsy British tourist Leonora (Paris Petitjean).—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wheezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wheezing. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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