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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 suffocate
Nelson was sentenced to death for the 2011 murder of Rev. Clint Dobson, 28, who was beaten, strangled and suffocated with a plastic bag inside NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington.
—
Pilar Arias, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025
Little is understood about nitrogen hypoxia, where an inmate is made to suffocate on nitrogen gas delivered through a face mask, and Alabama was the only U.S. state prior to this week that had released a protocol for this type of execution.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2025
At its heart are Rose (Kate Winslet), a fiercely independent woman suffocated by societal expectations, and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a free-spirited artist who teaches her to chase freedom and joy.
—Janey Tracey, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025
The authorities arrested Georgia for the murder of Cynthia’s dying husband Tom, leaving Paul, Georgia, Austin (who’d witnessed his mom suffocating Tom with a pillow) and the rest of the guests to look on in shock as she was taken away in handcuffs.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Pilar Arias, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025
Little is understood about nitrogen hypoxia, where an inmate is made to suffocate on nitrogen gas delivered through a face mask, and Alabama was the only U.S. state prior to this week that had released a protocol for this type of execution.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2025
At its heart are Rose (Kate Winslet), a fiercely independent woman suffocated by societal expectations, and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a free-spirited artist who teaches her to chase freedom and joy.
—Janey Tracey, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025
The authorities arrested Georgia for the murder of Cynthia’s dying husband Tom, leaving Paul, Georgia, Austin (who’d witnessed his mom suffocating Tom with a pillow) and the rest of the guests to look on in shock as she was taken away in handcuffs.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
-
Elijah Green, then 25, and Tony Green, then 22, strangled Vasudeva Kethireddy, 76, to death.—
Laura Barcella,
People.com,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Listen to this article A Milford man allegedly stopped a woman from fleeing a home last week during a domestic violence incident, dragging her back inside and strangling her, police said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In our solar system, Venus is near the inner edge of the habitable zone, and its surface reaches temperatures of over 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius) underneath a thick, choking atmosphere.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Shauna begins choking, blood seeping out from her neck.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Symptoms of poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, irregular heartbeat, decreased appetite.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2025
-
About 10 meters away, a man sitting on his bed vomited loudly.—
ByMartin Enserink,
science.org,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The big picture: Trump and Musk are correct that America is drowning in deficits.—
Axios,
Axios,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Lizárraga drowned in 1912, just before Machu Picchu became internationally famous.—
Hannah Edgar,
ARTnews.com,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
New Town dominated a clash of two of Baltimore County's top teams with a smothering defense that made life rough on Dulaney.—
James Peters,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2025
-
No surprise, in that context, that the Bell Centre crowd was ready to smother him in adoration.—
Pierre LeBrun,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share