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
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
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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She was allegedly admitted to the hospital and was found in her room the next morning, vomiting and gasping for air.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
13 Mar. 2026
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This often results in a choking, snorting, or gasping sound as normal breathing resumes.—
Daniel Combs,
Verywell Health,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Eyes wide, panting near panic, Foster perfectly captures the audience's own fear of being alone in the dark with a monster.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wheezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wheezing. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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