1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocate
However, this mindset is suffocating and often only leads to further anxiety, stress and unrealistic expectations.
—
Kent Ingle, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Kent Ingle, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
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Earlier this year, audio was released from 2022, where Majors admitted to having strangled his partner at the time.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Michael Tanzi, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison for the April 2000 kidnapping and strangling death of Janet Acosta, a production worker at The Miami Herald.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This hazard, hard plastic, and many other physical hazards such as metal and rocks/stones can cause illness or injury to the consumer, including laceration, cuts to the tongue or gum, perforation, occlusion (choking), typically occurring immediately or shortly after consumption.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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Silva walked Mitchell down, shook off takedown attempts, hurt him on the feet, and masterfully choked him out.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Then, one day in early December of the same year, Walker, who was in high school at the time, remembers lying in bed after being awake all night, vomiting and dealing with diarrhea.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Pets may appear lethargic, exhibit loss of appetite, vomit or have diarrhea.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The swimmer drowned about 4:45 p.m. in the river near the 2500 block of Roberts Cut Off Road.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2025
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Most of the Titanic’s passengers and crew didn’t drown inside the wreck, Nargeolet points out, but died of hypothermia in the 100 minutes before the Carpathia found a sea of floating corpses.—
Sean Kingsley,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The oil will smother active and recently settled crawlers.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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Moving in too soon can smother the spark that initially brought you together.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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