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
Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, then knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, asphyxiating him.
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Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Jan. 2026
Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asphyxiating
Verb
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Jorge Landeros, 56, was sentenced to 25 years in prison more than a decade after reportedly fatally beating and strangling a 52-year-old American University accounting professor in her Maryland home.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
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In 2013, Ricks killed his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son in a Bedford apartment to eliminate them as witnesses in a then-pending assault case in which he was accused of strangling her.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 12,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The costs cascade, drowning students in their wake.—
Lance Christensen,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
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Elevated surf also frequently results in strong rip currents which can drag people away from the shore and possibly result in drowning.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Asphyxiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asphyxiating. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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