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
Recent Examples on the Web
Australia ordered six investors with links to Beijing to divest their holdings of a rare earths firm that is central to efforts by Washington and Canberra to loosen China’s stranglehold on the mining and processing of the minerals.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
But the ships carrying his crucial cargo are trapped 2,000 miles away by Iran’s stranglehold of one of the world’s most important waterways.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
Its stranglehold over the country became evident last year when the group declared a fuel blockade of Mali’s capital, Bamako.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
While this Colorado Avalanche team in the Twin Cities with the intention of putting a stranglehold on this second-round playoff series, the financial parameters for the next edition of the Avs were firmed up earlier this week.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stranglehold
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.
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
But the ships carrying his crucial cargo are trapped 2,000 miles away by Iran’s stranglehold of one of the world’s most important waterways.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
Its stranglehold over the country became evident last year when the group declared a fuel blockade of Mali’s capital, Bamako.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
While this Colorado Avalanche team in the Twin Cities with the intention of putting a stranglehold on this second-round playoff series, the financial parameters for the next edition of the Avs were firmed up earlier this week.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 9 May 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 22 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
