strangle

verb

stran·​gle ˈstraŋ-gəl How to pronounce strangle (audio)
strangled; strangling ˈstraŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce strangle (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to choke to death by compressing the throat with something (such as a hand or rope) : throttle
b
: to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of
c
: stifle
2
: to suppress or hinder the rise, expression, or growth of
repression strangles free speech

intransitive verb

1
: to become strangled
2
: to die from or as if from interference with breathing
strangler noun

Examples of strangle in a Sentence

The weeds are strangling the plant. The company is trying to strangle the smaller competition.
Recent Examples on the Web Over the next four hours, Simpson beat his wife with a mason jar and candle, punched and kicked her, strangled her and held a knife to her side and neck while accusing the woman of having an affair, according to trial testimony. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 4 Mar. 2024 Men who couldn’t, or worse, didn’t want to, were portrayed as marionettes tied to and practically strangled by their mothers’ apron strings. Mark Harris Keita Morimoto, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Kearney, a high school football coach from Griffin, Ga., is accused of strangling Best to death inside her parents’ home and confessing to the crime to police, prosecutors said. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 In 1999, Howard Steven Ault was convicted of raping an 11-year-old girl in front of her 7-year-old sister before strangling both girls and shoving their bodies in his attic. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2024 An autopsy revealed that Joy had not died in the fire, but had been stabbed numerous times and strangled. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2024 Back in the days when Qualcomm was strangling the OS with lackluster SoC updates, Fossil was the only company that kept the dream alive. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024 Violence isn’t constant, but characters are shot dead, stabbed, strangled, poisoned and in car accidents. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Gabby Petito was strangled:Experts say such an assault is a red flag for intimate partner homicides. USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French estrangler, from Latin strangulare, from Greek strangalan, from strangalē halter — more at strain

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of strangle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near strangle

Cite this Entry

“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strangle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

strangle

verb
stran·​gle ˈstraŋ-gəl How to pronounce strangle (audio)
strangled; strangling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce strangle (audio)
1
: to choke to death by squeezing the throat
2
: to cause (someone or something) to choke or suffocate
3
: to suppress or hinder the rise, growth, or expression of
these rules are strangling my creativity
4
: to become strangled
5
: to die by or as if by interference with breathing
strangler noun

Medical Definition

strangle

verb
stran·​gle ˈstraŋ-gəl How to pronounce strangle (audio)
strangled; strangling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce strangle (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to choke to death by compressing the throat with something (as a hand or rope)
2
: to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of
the bone wedged in his throat and strangled him

intransitive verb

1
: to become strangled : undergo a severe interference with breathing
2
: to die from interference with breathing

More from Merriam-Webster on strangle

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