wheezed

verb

past tense of wheeze
as in gasped
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty he was wheezing rapidly after a hard run

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 wheezed Their offense has sputtered and wheezed, even as their defense has done its part to keep them in games. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 The defense struggled a bit in the first half with the reserves on the field even after producing a second-quarter interception, and the offense also gasped and wheezed with the reserves on the field. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026 The previous owners must have doused the property with chemicals, and as summer wheezed toward its smoky end, my lawn became less suburban ideal and more of a pop quiz in weed identification. — Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026 The old boiler wheezed and stalled, the roof sprang leaks, half-century-old pipes cracked, and the lobby intercom was defunct. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wheezed
  1. gasped
  2. panted
Verb
  • During the film, audience members both laughed and gasped in horror as the events of OpenAI’s founding and 2023 unraveling were brought to screen.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Same lethal drug, different outcomes After the pentobarbital was administered Wednesday night, Howard took a couple of breaths and gasped, the AP reported, before making snoring sounds that grew quiet within 30 seconds.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of gasped
Verb
  • Pet owners spoke reassuringly to their dogs, who panted and pawed their owners, and to their mewing cats.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • On one of the machines a Cluely employee panted and huffed in the dark.
    — Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of panted

Browse Nearby Words

wheeze
wheezed
wheezes
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Cite this Entry

“Wheezed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wheezed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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