as in to choke
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
I was so angry at what he was saying that I could have throttled him!
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Recent Examples of throttle
The streets of Syria were a carnival of car horns, fireworks and flags after President Donald Trump made the surprise announcement that the United States would lift sanctions that have throttled the country’s economy for more than 45 years.
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Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 May 2025
The first ones debuted in 1930, as the Great Depression throttled the world’s economy, and it was priced accordingly for the times.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
Left-hander Mitchell Parker, who started his sophomore campaign with five straight quality starts, was throttled by the Mets lineup right from the start.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
Trump’s whirlwind policies have already throttled Yiwu’s supply chains.
—Chang Che, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throttle
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 May 2025
The first ones debuted in 1930, as the Great Depression throttled the world’s economy, and it was priced accordingly for the times.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
Left-hander Mitchell Parker, who started his sophomore campaign with five straight quality starts, was throttled by the Mets lineup right from the start.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
Trump’s whirlwind policies have already throttled Yiwu’s supply chains.
—Chang Che, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throttle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttle
Verb
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Various items were pulled from shelves back in March, ranging from fears that teething sticks could be a choking hazard to concerns about the particular batteries in a microphone potentially overheating and igniting.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
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On Monday, Jane gave harrowing testimony about a night in June 2024 when Combs allegedly choked, punched and kicked her in a rage.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Prosecutors say that in December 2024, Tyler strangled Bruno to death at the dog’s New Rochelle home.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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The man then strangled the dog, injuring its neck and throat, officials said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Throttle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttle. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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