1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

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2
as in to choke
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

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3
as in to vomit
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building

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Examples 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 suffocate No doubt relatively slow economic growth (the biggest economic downturns in the U.S. are boom times anywhere else) suffocates the talents of way too many people. John Tamny, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025 Also, when Towns faces up from near the top of the key, having off-ball defenders dig and suffocate the space of his drive from the opposite side has led to some stumbles. James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024 The Syrian Network for Human Rights says at least 1,514 suffocated to death from chemical weapons attacks during the civil war. Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024 The girl was a neighbor at his Purcell, Okla., apartment complex who Underwood admitted to luring into his apartment and beating her over the head with a cutting board before suffocating her. Sean Murphy The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for suffocate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • Adams was booked for a canny professional foul which choked the visitors’ attempts to get back into the game.
    Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
  • She was later pronounced dead after allegedly being choked.
    Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • After coming under the organization's care, Pudding vomited chicken bones and onions — foods hazardous to dogs, according to The Straits Times.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Taking multivitamins on an empty stomach may cause nausea and vomiting for some people.
    Patricia Weiser, PharmD, Verywell Health, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The proliferation of point solutions—tools that solve only one or two specific pain points—has left organizations drowning in software.
    Joshua Siler, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
  • While getting these hands-on pics, the bustle of the Vegas Strip didn’t drown out my music or prevent me from hearing my colleague Antonio G. Di Benedetto’s photo cues.
    Victoria Song, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • So not counting out the Rams, but Philadelphia just has so many ways to beat you, and that Eagles defense is smothering.
    Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • But can that smothering play hold up against playoff Patrick Mahomes (who had his best performance of the season in Week 17)?
    Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near suffocate

Cite this Entry

“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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