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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Clancy jumped out of a window after strangling the children to death and was paralyzed in the fall. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 Clancy, 36, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all younger than 6 — who were discovered strangled at the family's home in January 2023. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 The 36-year-old Massachusetts mother strangled her three children to death; a jury will decide whether to accept her insanity defense. — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026 Both prosecutors and her defense agree Clancy fatally strangled her children with exercise bands, and then cut her wrists and neck and jumped out of a window, at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home on January 24, 2023. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strangle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangle

Verb

Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Both victims were illegally choked to death by white police officers.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

Fresh off a walk-off loss the day before, Dave Roberts was asked about his team’s recent play and couldn’t stifle a yawn.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
On Monday, facing the stifling defense of the second-place Golden State Valkyries, Miles shot three of twelve from the field and gave up four turnovers.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of stifle

Verb

That’s what happened here as our little record store was basically being suffocated in its own little nerdism.

— E.R. Pulgar, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2026
Amazon also faces another sweeping lawsuit by the FTC and 17 states that paints the company as a monopolist that suffocates competitors and raises costs for both sellers and shoppers.

— Alina Selyukh, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of suffocate

Verb

This isn’t a matter of suppressing your emotions, which research has proven doesn't work.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
In one of the findings, bat houses — artificial roosts in urban environments, similar to nest boxes for birds — were doing their job helping to suppress pests on pecan farms in Texas.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

One jumper is famous for having smothered miles of flames with his jacket; in Alaska, jumpers have used spruce boughs and burlap bags filled with moss.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Both experts agree that a thick layer of top dressing can actually smother your grass.

— Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of smother

Verb

Officials added that people cannot become infected with Naegleria fowleri by swallowing contaminated water; however, the amoeba can enter the body when it is forcefully introduced, such as through the nose into the brain.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Brushing against a lily can leave pollen on its coat, which the cat may later swallow while grooming.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of swallow

Verb

Deputies riding Sea-Doos on July 18 rescued three swimmers not wearing life jackets who were close to drowning on Petite Lake in unincorporated Lake Villa.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
The turbine room could have filled with water if the emergency shutdown systems failed, potentially drowning anyone inside.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of drown

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“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangle. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of strangle

verb

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