STRANGLE Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

strangle

verb

ˈstraŋ-gəl

Definition of strangle

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to stifle

to refrain from openly showing or uttering strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in the island's capital city of Naha early Saturday and stealing her wallet and backpack. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 The erosion of ocean governance could pave the way for China to blockade Taiwan, Russia to strangle Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, or the United States to seize maritime control around Greenland. — Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 The shipping strikes aimed to strangle Crimea into an energy and supply crisis. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026 In the first assault, Escudero locked a 16-year-old coworker in his car, then strangled, struck and raped her, according to the release. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strangle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle

Verb

There is a fear that a company will be forced to dilute shareholders or choke itself with expensive debt to build factories to fulfill orders.

— Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
The woman denied the allegations, and Ross hit her in the chest several times, the report says, and choked her, restricting her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

Opponents argue the proposal weakens environmental protections, stifles community input and could fast-track projects like data centers and freeways.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
In time, this silence erodes trust, stifles creativity and turns minor problems into serious issues.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of stifle

Verb

Janet also acts as a decoy, luring several men inside the chapel; once the doors shut behind them, the women drop a heavy, suffocating tapestry over the group and stab them through the fabric.

— Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Experts back then warned that as trains got faster, passengers would suffocate, or that looking at unnaturally fast-moving scenery could permanently compromise visual processing.

— Mark P. Mills, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of suffocate

Verb

These adjectives express the behavior that Reilly studied movies to learn how to suppress.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Becerra seems to either be suppressing a cough or hyperventilating at the bit of responding to Hilton’s vaccine vacuousness.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

The circumstances are objectively potent — but Udofia smothers them in such a barrage of cutesiness and self-conscious signalling that a wall rises between us and the play.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Noah Kim threw two touchdown passes and the Eastern Michigan defense smothered Lindenwood to help post a 29-3 win on Saturday.

— CBS News, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of smother

Verb

But one of the biggest questions about their eventual direction is whether Edey is their center of the future … or whether the injuries that limited him to just 11 games last season will swallow up the behemoth big man’s career.

— Doug Haller, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of swallow

Verb

Workers and employers are drowning in their health insurance premiums.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of drown

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strangers

strangle

strangled

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“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of strangle

verb

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