as in strangling
to cause (someone) to stop breathing and often to become unconscious and die
The murder victim was asphyxiated.
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Recent Examples of asphyxiating
The indictment charges Horner with strangling, smothering or asphyxiating Athena while in the course of kidnapping her.
—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, then knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, asphyxiating him.
—
Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson,
San Antonio Express-News,
16 Jan. 2026
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, then knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, asphyxiating him.
—
Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson,
San Antonio Express-News,
16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiating
Verb
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Not cut the taxes strangling working families and British business.
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Instead of having a thousand flowers bloom, a thousand weeds end up strangling them.
Verb
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But water also carries the potential for danger, and parents who have lost a child to drowning are begging families to use caution.
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Florida, which has one of the highest childhood drowning rates in the nation, expanded a voucher program this month that puts children ages 1-7 who have autism at the front of the line for subsidized swim lessons.
Cite this Entry
“Asphyxiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiating. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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