stranglehold

noun

stran·​gle·​hold ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld How to pronounce stranglehold (audio)
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or suppresses freedom of movement or expression

Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ruthless gangs have a stranglehold on the city, preying on the population, carving neighborhoods into warring criminal fiefdoms, and cutting Haiti’s international port off from the rest of the country. Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The project, backed by both the United States and the European Union but blocked by the ethnic feuds that have long hobbled Bosnia, aims to break Moscow’s stranglehold on gas supplies to a fragile nation tugged between East and West. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The probe was sparked by a complaint in 2019 from Sweden’s Spotify Technology SA, which claimed it was forced to ramp up its monthly subscription price to cover costs associated with Apple’s alleged stranglehold on how the App Store operates. Aisha S Gani, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2024 But the two parties have tightened their stranglehold on the electoral process to the point where a third-party or independent bid is nearly impossible. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 President Isaias Afwerki has ruled the country for three decades, and his party, backed by Russia and enriched by Chinese mining revenue, has been tightening its stranglehold. Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2024 By keeping rates high as inflation slows the Fed could put an unnecessary stranglehold on the economy. Bryan Mena, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 White and gray have a stranglehold on kitchen cabinets akin to vanilla’s domination of ice cream flavors (remarkable in a world that includes Cherry Garcia). Kathryn O'Shea Evans, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 And secondly, and more seriously, enjoy it as a critical overview of how the patriarchal culture of that time put a stranglehold on both women and gay men. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stranglehold was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near stranglehold

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

stranglehold

noun
stran·​gle·​hold ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld How to pronounce stranglehold (audio)
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or blocks freedom of development or expression

More from Merriam-Webster on stranglehold

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