throttling

noun

throt·​tling ˈthrä-tᵊl-iŋ 

ˈthrät-liŋ

plural throttlings

1

: the act or an instance of throttling something or someone: such as

a

: the suppression or prevention of an activity

… maintains that the dramatic relaxation of credit restrictions proposed by the Central Bank will inevitably result in hyperinflation, the throttling of economic reforms and the collapse of Western confidence in the Russian economy.

—Michael Dobbs

b

US, informal : a decisive defeat : rout

You missed an impressive, imposing 40-13 victory over Memphis … and a 61-17 throttling of FIU in the season opener.

—The Orlando Sentinel

2

: the activity or process of limiting the bandwidth available to users of an electronic communication systems (such as the Internet)

Slowing down data speeds after a customer reaches its monthly data limit is a common practice among internet service providers and cellular carriers that's known as throttling. Users can still access the cellular network for basic services like email or web browsing, but speeds are often too slow for activities like video streaming.

—Ryan Suppe

Examples of throttling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Two quick takeaways: First, kudos to the Rams, a team that started 1-4 and is now a playoff winner after its 27-9 throttling of the 14-win Vikings in a game relocated to Arizona. —Chris Branch, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025

Best Christmas moments 2017: Minnesota earned its first-ever Christmas win with a 121-104 throttling of the Los Angeles Lakers. —Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024

The veteran wing played a team-high 25 minutes in the Celtics 139-89 throttling of the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden, more than doubling his total from the first two preseason games combined (11). —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2024

The reverse throttling also introduces another feature: a reverse gear. —Roberto Baldwin, WIRED, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1