stranglehold
noun
stran·gle·hold
ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld 
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that stops something from growing or developing
… opened three stores within a year and got a stranglehold on market share.—
Inc.
Inc.Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence
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Part of what fascinated me about their presentation was not only their refusal to kowtow to male desire, which for decades had a stranglehold on rock aesthetics, but a concomitant disavowal of commercialism.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Trump eyes Iran’s main oil terminal Iran’s months-long stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
During the truce, Iran has maintained its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas and the primary reason global fuel prices skyrocketed.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Even as travelers keep flying, airlines’ profits could be cut in half, thanks in part to the stranglehold Iran has imposed on the global oil supply, according to a global trade group for the industry.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 8 June 2026
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Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Trump eyes Iran’s main oil terminal Iran’s months-long stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
During the truce, Iran has maintained its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas and the primary reason global fuel prices skyrocketed.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Even as travelers keep flying, airlines’ profits could be cut in half, thanks in part to the stranglehold Iran has imposed on the global oil supply, according to a global trade group for the industry.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stranglehold
Cite this Entry
“Stranglehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stranglehold. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stranglehold
noun
stran·gle·hold
ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or blocks freedom of development or expression
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