suffocate
verb
suf·fo·cate
ˈsə-fə-ˌkāt 
suffocated; suffocating
1
a(1)
: to stop the respiration of (as by strangling or asphyxiation)
(2)
: to deprive of oxygen
b
: to make uncomfortable by want of fresh air
2
: to impede or stop the development of
1
b
: to be uncomfortable through lack of fresh air
2
: to become checked in development
Examples of suffocate in a Sentence
The poor dog could suffocate in the car on a hot day like this.
Don't put your head in a plastic bag—you could suffocate.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Tar Heels' defense was suffocating against West Virginia, holding them to a paltry 13-for-54 (24.1%) from the field and just 2-for-21 (9.5%) from the 3-point line.
—
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Zombie embraces slow, creeping tension, often holding shots for longer than expected, forcing the audience to marinate in the film’s suffocating atmosphere.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Nitrogen gas has been used just four other times to execute a person in the United States — all in Alabama, the only other state with a protocol for the method, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.
—CBS News, 19 Mar. 2025
Yet, while Corina grew up sheltered in an environment of suffocating caution, her brand of bravery purports that awareness of the evils that plague reality, met with a desire to seek joy amid that darkness, can be radical.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
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Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Zombie embraces slow, creeping tension, often holding shots for longer than expected, forcing the audience to marinate in the film’s suffocating atmosphere.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Nitrogen gas has been used just four other times to execute a person in the United States — all in Alabama, the only other state with a protocol for the method, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.
—CBS News, 19 Mar. 2025
Yet, while Corina grew up sheltered in an environment of suffocating caution, her brand of bravery purports that awareness of the evils that plague reality, met with a desire to seek joy amid that darkness, can be radical.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suffocate. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suffocate
verb
suf·fo·cate
ˈsəf-ə-ˌkāt
suffocated; suffocating
1
a
: to stop the breathing of (as by strangling)
b
: to deprive of oxygen
c
: to make uncomfortable by want of fresh air
2
: to become suffocated
especially
: to die or suffer from being unable to breathe or from lack of oxygen
Medical Definition
suffocate
verb
suf·fo·cate
ˈsəf-ə-ˌkāt
suffocated; suffocating
1
: to stop the respiration of (as by strangling or asphyxiation)
2
: to deprive of oxygen
: to die from being unable to breathe
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