1
as in to choke
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air the gull got tangled in a piece of fishing line on the beach and was strangled

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2
as in to throttle
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe the boy complained that he was being strangled by his tie

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3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strangle In 2022, Kayla, a Maryland resident, was brutally raped, strangled with a phone cord and murdered in Harford County by MS-13 gang member and four-time murderer Walter Javier Martinez. Dan Cox, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2025 So if someone is strangled to death in the basement of a florist shop in Staten Island, that is a windfall in terms of keeping reader attention. Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025 Prosecutors said in October that Maggio strangled Eaton and staged her death to look like a suicide, which was initially speculated to be the cause of death. Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025 The body was exhumed and a new verdict delivered: murder, by strangling. Liesl Schillinger, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for strangle 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle
Verb
  • Ange Postecoglou has a habit of choking on bread and butter, but Europe is keeping him sane.
    Phil Hay, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Authorities said Smith also tried to choke the officer, who used pepper spray to force the inmate to retreat into his cell.
    Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In addition to the expansive damage to homes that can drive deep, costly repairs, extreme weather events like these also cause catastrophic damage to minority communities’ basic infrastructure and functionality, stifling local commerce, transportation, and access to healthcare.
    Jerel Ezell, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Anunoby and Bridges use their length and versatility to stifle ball movement and lock down primary scorers, while Hart relentlessly hunts 50/50 balls.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Trump is bound to be less bad for bitcoin than the Democrats and their ‘chokepoints’ and could lead to a flowering of blockchain applications that for years now have been suffocated by the regulators.
    Clem Chambers, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Despite throttling the press and trying to suffocate the opposition, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lost its absolute majority in parliament in part because of widespread economic disaffection among voters.
    Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Demographers have found little, if any, evidence that EWIs harm or suppress the employment or wages of local people.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
  • To keep shooting, Pasha must suppress his rage and only dares to carry out small protests — such as playing the U.S. national anthem sung by Lady Gaga — but those are enough to earn him suspicion.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Whereas United smothered City at the Etihad and took the game to them, on Wednesday at Leigh Sports Village — where the atmosphere was flat — the hosts sat off City, an aspect noted by visiting manager Gareth Taylor.
    Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
  • So not counting out the Rams, but Philadelphia just has so many ways to beat you, and that Eagles defense is smothering.
    Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Bills swallowed $31 million in dead salary-cap space to be out of the Diggs business.
    Tim Graham, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Some nicotine from pouches will inevitably be ingested into the stomach when people swallow their saliva.
    Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Want to build an idyllic life for your Sims, or drown one of them in a freak pool accident?
    Susan Stone, NPR, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Leaving seeds in the water too long can drown the plant embryo and cause the seeds to rot.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near strangle

Cite this Entry

“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

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