as in choked
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1
as in drowned
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
the gull got tangled in a piece of fishing line on the beach and was strangled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in throttled
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
the boy complained that he was being strangled by his tie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stifled
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
strangled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the news
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of strangled
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Podedworna also alleges that her late partner had threatened to kill her and strangled her just two weeks before her death, the BBC and The Independent reported.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Somewhere along the way, the private jet goes down and everybody dies — in excessively painful ways, as Raimi gleefully shows them being sucked out of the plane and strangled by their own neckties — except for Linda and Bradley.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Arrest warrants allege Jones stabbed his grandfather multiple times in the torso and neck and strangled his grandmother, cutting off her airway and blood flow.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Clancy allegedly strangled her children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months, during the throes of a postpartum breakdown, then tried to kill herself at their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Nieves pleaded guilty to manslaughter for smashing Conneely’s head with a meat tenderizer while she was being strangled.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Israel also says its large-scale airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon have strangled Hezbollah, cutting off Iran's access to what was once a formidable political and militant force on Israel's northern border.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Several hours later, she was found dead in her own home – bludgeoned and strangled.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
Hanlon was out hiking when Hall assaulted and strangled her to death.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Podedworna also alleges that her late partner had threatened to kill her and strangled her just two weeks before her death, the BBC and The Independent reported.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Somewhere along the way, the private jet goes down and everybody dies — in excessively painful ways, as Raimi gleefully shows them being sucked out of the plane and strangled by their own neckties — except for Linda and Bradley.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Arrest warrants allege Jones stabbed his grandfather multiple times in the torso and neck and strangled his grandmother, cutting off her airway and blood flow.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Clancy allegedly strangled her children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months, during the throes of a postpartum breakdown, then tried to kill herself at their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Nieves pleaded guilty to manslaughter for smashing Conneely’s head with a meat tenderizer while she was being strangled.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Israel also says its large-scale airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon have strangled Hezbollah, cutting off Iran's access to what was once a formidable political and militant force on Israel's northern border.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Several hours later, she was found dead in her own home – bludgeoned and strangled.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strangled
Verb
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Three years after the incident involving Cordell, a prisoner claimed he was assaulted, choked and Tazed by Hadder while on day release for a family reunion at a Waffle House.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Kenya choked under the dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi, who ruled from 1978 to 2002.—
Binaifer Nowrojee,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Without these oversight measures, the public’s ability to give its input was stifled, the lawsuit alleges.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
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Arsenal have recently looked stifled in a way that the creative department of a title-challenging team, high on its own output, should not.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As Derya and Aziz’s hypocrisies, as upper-class intellectuals, are increasingly brought to the fore, Namal and Biçer’s conversational performances grow haggard and strained.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Gregg Phillips, an associate administrator at FEMA, said at a hearing this week that its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.—
Mary Clare Jalonick,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the media, the small improvements the legislation was able to make were drowned out by the pandemonium of the culture wars.—
Annie Levin,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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Those videos, especially in the case of Alex Pretti’s shooting, drowned out both the slop and slick government productions.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ukraine's air force said Russia launched two missiles and 183 drones into the country overnight, of which 156 drones were shot down or suppressed.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Congress was sidelined, independent media was suppressed, and opponents were detained, all under a veneer of legal authority.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Check for cracked or charred wires, as well as burn marks or holes on the blanket, says Evan Jones, representative from Electrical Safety Foundation International.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
4 Feb. 2026
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Dry winter air can leave you with cracked, peeling skin, gritty eyes, and a scratchy throat.—
Abby Norman,
Verywell Health,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some athletes feel suffocated by the obligations that fame brings.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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Some athletes feel suffocated by the obligations that fame brings.—
Eddie Pells,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Everywhere the Patriots went, the Seahawks swallowed them.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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With the longer-term future of HBO Max somewhat uncertain given what could happen if it gets swallowed up by one of the world’s biggest streamers, Perrette pushed back on the idea that Netflix top brass would be unhappy with HBO Max rolling out across the world.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strangled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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