garrote

variants or garotte
Definition of garrotenext
as in to strangle
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe the goons sent by the loan shark threatened to garrote the hero with his own necktie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 garrote That means the Senate's only practical effect is adding another point at which oligarch lobbyists can garrote popular policy. Ryan Cooper, The Week, 29 Oct. 2021 Tony, unhindered by any sense of moral anguish, garrotes the man in broad daylight with a length of cable. Adam Wilson, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019 Sometimes the line between good writing and bad writing can be as thin as the piano wire with which a madman garrotes his victims. Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, 15 Aug. 2017 Last year, he was garroted by saw briars—the vicious inch-long thorns that lace the course—which left bleeding gashes across his neck. George Pendle, Esquire, 26 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garrote
Verb
  • The following month, a hit squad, reportedly acting on bin Salman’s orders, strangled Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist who had been critical of the regime, and used a bone saw to dismember his corpse.
    Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Invasive vines like Virginia creeper, English ivy, and buckthorn can strangle trees, for example, and some aggressive trees may spread via underground suckers and roots.
    Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Some victims were physically assaulted, including one person who was choked to the point of nearly losing consciousness, according to court documents.
    Christopher Harris, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Iran controls the Straits of Hormuz, trade — especially in vital oil — is choked, and the price of gas at the pump already exceeds $4 a gallon.
    Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • After a competitive first half, the Huskies throttled the Illini, 77-52.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Pittsburgh throttled the Islanders on Monday, 8-3.
    Michael Guise, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Garrote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garrote. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

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