suffocate

verb

ˈsə-fə-ˌkāt How to pronounce suffocate (audio)
Definition of suffocatenext
1
as in to strangle
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to choke
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to vomit
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of suffocate The conception of the role, marked by a dim view of stardom’s suffocating alienation, was something Jolie clearly understood. — Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Huge parts Europe have been suffocating under a stubborn heat dome parked over the continent, trapping hot air and leading to extreme and dangerous heat and humidity. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 The pure, post-Bee Gees charisma Bellamy mustered in the 2000s seems to have vacated him entirely, and the song’s funkiness suffocates under the flatness of his delivery. — Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 For nearly two weeks, wildfires — the first of which was spawned along Krome Avenue from a lightning strike and split into two blazes spanning over 22,000 acres — have suffocated neighborhoods in western Miami-Dade County. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocate
  1. strangle
  2. choke
  3. vomit
  4. drown
  5. smother
Verb
  • The empress returns to her chambers to weep, only to be strangled by a eunuch under the noble consort’s orders.
    — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026
  • The warning is the second issued by UCSB police since May, when an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a Sigma Pi fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of strangle
Verb
  • This practice carries risks, such as choking and aspiration, or food entering the airway.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Historically, modest fires every seven to 20 years kept forests from being overgrown and choked with highly flammable dead wood and brush, Williams said.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • And Sydney vomiting out the news of Carmy’s departure is definitely something.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Stephanie Franklin, the mother of a close friend of Benning, took multiple photos of the apartment while wearing gloves and removed a bed comforter that Benning had vomited on.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of vomit
Verb
  • The death marked the fourth fatal drowning on the Lake of the Ozarks in 2026, according to the patrol’s data.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
  • The team’s supporters filled a few compact sections, islands of green drowned out in a sea of blue Kylian Mbappé jerseys.
    — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 6 July 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Raquel got the early advantage and smothered Maxxine in the corner.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Whether they’re smothered in pepper jelly, doused in barbecue sauce, or wrapped in bacon, appetizers are your chance to set the tone and impress your guests (because, let’s face it, nothing beats the satisfaction of compliments on your spread).
    — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 June 2026
Definition of smother

Browse Nearby Words

sufficing
suffocate
suffocated
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Cite this Entry

“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on suffocate

Nglish: Translation of suffocate for Spanish Speakers

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