as in close
lacking fresh air
inside the bunker it was suffocating, and some of the men had already passed out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in strangling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in choking
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
temporarily suffocated by the seat belt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vomiting
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe
suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suffocating
Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2025
Florida played its style of game in both outings, using a suffocating defense to limit quality chances and knowing Bobrovsky will swallow up whatever gets missed.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
With English Subtitles French maestro Claire Denis’ taut chamber piece simmers with dark secrets and emotional tensions in its portrait of a community suffocating from the relentless grip of colonialism.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Adjective
The stiff feel, plus the suffocating heat of summer in NYC, is a recipe for disaster.
—Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2025
Florida played its style of game in both outings, using a suffocating defense to limit quality chances and knowing Bobrovsky will swallow up whatever gets missed.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
Enyedi has often made meditative cinema, but here her restraint in some sequences verges on suffocating.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
With English Subtitles French maestro Claire Denis’ taut chamber piece simmers with dark secrets and emotional tensions in its portrait of a community suffocating from the relentless grip of colonialism.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocating
Adjective
-
He was acquired, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a July 2023 trade with the Braves for reliever Pierce Johnson.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
-
In the last fortnight alone, Starmer's Deputy Prime Minister and close ally Angela Rayner has resigned after a house tax scandal, triggering a major cabinet reshuffle.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But these advances are also strangling the business of the dictionary.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
-
After law enforcement left, the district attorney’s office said Sumpter attacked the woman, punching her in the face and strangling her.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Baltimore led Buffalo by 15 points with four minutes to go Sunday night before choking away a 41-40 loss in what became an instant classic.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
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Infant accessories dug-up from the previous owner’s storage at the estate sale might still contain lead paint or choking hazards, and Ziomek advises to beware especially of any accessories involving sleeping, when babies are particularly vulnerable.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, early in the morning of February 18, Chernyak began having seizures and vomiting in his bunk bed.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Other more serious, though rare, risks include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and potential kidney injury — particularly if severe dehydration occurs due to vomiting, the expert cautioned.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Lately, however, that search for control has become overly cautious, stifling attacking adventure.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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After enduring a stifling sea of sameness in the basic design of the iPhone since the iPhone X, Apple’s new line of iPhone 17s finally brings a very diverse and distinctive breadth of offerings to people looking for an iPhone.—
Bob O’Donnell,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And as Brown’s book races toward its elaborate climax, his (and Langdon’s) breathless effusions about the neuro-technological progress that awaits us sound jarringly out of sync with the anxious, doomy present.—
Book Marks
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Almost four and a half hours later, the couple woke up to a breathless little boy.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An offseason of change came to fruition under the lights at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night, with first-year head coach Dowell Loggains’ Appalachian State Mountaineers smothering the Charlotte 49ers from start to finish, grabbing a 34-11 season-opening victory.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Aug. 2025
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Naomi is a textbook Jewish mother, nagging and cajoling and smothering her children with logorrheic abandon.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Flu symptoms can include aches, cough, fatigue, fever, headache, sore throat and a stuffy or runny nose, according to the CDC.—
Sara Schilling,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Sep. 2025
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The late Tom Wolfe, rubbing his hands with glee and spilling lemonade on his white suit, would be delighted that tradition has now taken its revenge on stuffy Bauhaus Europeanism, and maybe rightly so.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suffocating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocating. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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