How to Use suffocate in a Sentence

suffocate

verb
  • The poor dog could suffocate in the car on a hot day like this.
  • Don't put your head in a plastic bag—you could suffocate.
  • If the tube becomes plugged, the child could suffocate and die.
    — Christopher Hartnick, STAT, 6 Apr. 2018
  • Some had been suffocated, shot in the head or dumped with their hands still tied.
    — Matthieu Aikins Bryan Denton, New York Times, 22 May 2024
  • When this happens, the thatch will suffocate and starve your lawn.
    — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The girl, 8, is said to have suffocated to death in her own bed.
    — Megan Friedman, Good Housekeeping, 29 Feb. 2016
  • Mulch should support plant health—not suffocate it.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
  • Both girls had been suffocated to death.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
  • Too much water can suffocate their roots.
    — Viola Flowers, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
  • There was no outlet for the fire and smoke which suffocated the guests.
    — Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Let food breathe in the fridge instead of suffocating it in cling wrap.
    — Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Mulch too close or over the crown can help diseases take hold or slowly suffocate the plant.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2020
  • Creams and oils can feel like suffocating masks in warm weather.
    — Courtney Brunson, Allure, 11 July 2017
  • Text wraps around you like a dreadful whisper, with an eye to suffocate.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • Most are shot, others are stabbed, and a few are run over, suffocated or beat to death.
    — Megan Cassidy, azcentral, 27 Mar. 2018
  • Homes of all sizes can feel crowded and suffocating when there's more pieces in a room than there should be.
    — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
  • So Giles steps up and does the dirty deed by suffocating Ben.
    — ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
  • Those blooms rob the water of oxygen and can suffocate and harm aquatic life.
    — Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Sep. 2020
  • The white walls of my cocoon closed around me and began suffocating me.
    — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2018
  • The same pattern plays out when children drown in swimming pools or suffocate in hot cars.
    — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 24 May 2017
  • But if the high taxes suffocate the market, how viable could that be in the long run?
    — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Your routine should support your dreams, not suffocate them.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Opt for a fuzzy bucket hat or a chunky beret to lock in warmth without suffocating your roots.
    — Lea Hüttinger, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Many parents had to watch their children suffocate.
    — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Four of the victims had been suffocated and had been strangled.
    — Fox News, 19 Feb. 2020
  • Anyone there for the genre, for the action, would just be suffocating.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
  • Planting the root flare too deep can suffocate the roots, causing disease.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 27 June 2026
  • Avoid piling mulch against the trunk, and make sure the tree is not planted too deeply, which can suffocate roots over time.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
  • The silence in that room — not just from the Doppler, but in the air — was suffocating.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Smoke - and then flames - filled the car, suffocating Awan and burning him from his feet up.
    — The Washington Post, oregonlive, 23 Oct. 2019

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

Last Updated: