as in strangling
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 throttling
Now teams are responding by putting a bigger emphasis on defense, playing with a throttling full-court intensity.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The newsroom union claims the change is throttling staff diversity and muting the magazine’s progressive political bent.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Before upgrading, consider testing your current speed, optimizing your Wi-Fi setup and checking if your provider is throttling your connection.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The late icon strapped himself into his guitar while throttling songs in Shellac and Big Black, changing how menacing a punk riff could sound.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throttling
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The newsroom union claims the change is throttling staff diversity and muting the magazine’s progressive political bent.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Before upgrading, consider testing your current speed, optimizing your Wi-Fi setup and checking if your provider is throttling your connection.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The late icon strapped himself into his guitar while throttling songs in Shellac and Big Black, changing how menacing a punk riff could sound.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throttling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throttling
Verb
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But in late February of this year, he was arrested for allegedly strangling his fiancée, and got charged with a felony and a misdemeanor.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
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Duckett was convicted and sentenced to death row in June 1988 for raping, strangling and drowning Teresa McAbee.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The man alerted jail deputies that his cellmate, 35-year-old Vincent Chacon, was choking and needed help in the early morning of June 30, according to a probable cause affidavit.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throttling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throttling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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