strangle

verb

stran·​gle ˈstraŋ-gəl 

strangled; strangling ˈstraŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to choke to death by compressing the throat with something (such as a hand or rope) : throttle

b

: to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of

c

: stifle

2

: to suppress or hinder the rise, expression, or growth of

repression strangles free speech

intransitive verb

1

: to become strangled

2

: to die from or as if from interference with breathing

strangler

ˈstraŋ-g(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms

• choke
• smother
• stifle
• suffocate

Examples of strangle in a Sentence

The weeds are strangling the plant.

The company is trying to strangle the smaller competition.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2022, Kayla, a Maryland resident, was brutally raped, strangled with a phone cord and murdered in Harford County by MS-13 gang member and four-time murderer Walter Javier Martinez. —Dan Cox, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2025

So if someone is strangled to death in the basement of a florist shop in Staten Island, that is a windfall in terms of keeping reader attention. —Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025

Prosecutors said in October that Maggio strangled Eaton and staged her death to look like a suicide, which was initially speculated to be the cause of death. —Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025

The body was exhumed and a new verdict delivered: murder, by strangling. —Liesl Schillinger, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French estrangler, from Latin strangulare, from Greek strangalan, from strangalē halter — more at strain

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

strangle

verb

stran·​gle ˈstraŋ-gəl 

strangled; strangling -g(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to choke to death by squeezing the throat

2

: to cause (someone or something) to choke or suffocate

3

: to suppress or hinder the rise, growth, or expression of

these rules are strangling my creativity

4

: to become strangled

5

: to die by or as if by interference with breathing

strangler

-g(ə-)lər 

noun

Medical Definition

strangle

verb

stran·​gle ˈstraŋ-gəl 

strangled; strangling -g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to choke to death by compressing the throat with something (as a hand or rope)

2

: to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of

the bone wedged in his throat and strangled him

intransitive verb

1

: to become strangled : undergo a severe interference with breathing

2

: to die from interference with breathing