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
The main symptoms are wheezing, difficult breathing and fever.
—
Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 7 Jan. 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
Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 7 Jan. 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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Then came another jab, and the hairpiece bounced up as if Miller’s scalp was the bottom of a gasping clam.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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The result is a searing drama that had audiences at the National Theatre in London, where the production opened at the end of 2024, gasping in surprise, shock, and sympathy.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Her dog panting, unquestioning, always thrilled to see her.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wheezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wheezing. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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