stranglehold

noun

stran·​gle·​hold ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld How to pronounce stranglehold (audio)
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or suppresses freedom of movement or expression

Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Jean Smart has won a comedy actress Emmy for all three seasons of Hacks so far, and may have a stranglehold on the award until that series ends. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025 Despite the irony of two commissioners heading one efficiency body, and their railing against regulatory strangleholds, our economic system seems strangely capable of churning out collective trillionaires. Thomas J. Greitens, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2025 Indeed, the elite schools do not have a stranglehold on certain sectors. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 28 Dec. 2024 The stranglehold of Sky and BT Sports (since rebranded as TNT) was broken when the new kid on the block bid successfully for one of two packages that had not hit their reserve price in an initial auction four months earlier. Philip Buckingham, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stranglehold 

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stranglehold was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near stranglehold

Cite this Entry

“Stranglehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stranglehold. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

stranglehold

noun
stran·​gle·​hold ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld How to pronounce stranglehold (audio)
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or blocks freedom of development or expression

More from Merriam-Webster on stranglehold

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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