strangle

12 synonyms and 1 antonym for strangle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

choke gag throttle

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

hamper cramp stifle halter smother repress suffocate muffle strangulate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air.

“The victim was strangled with a piece of cord.”

choke gag throttle hamper cramp stifle halter smother repress suffocate muffle strangulate

2. verb

To suppress or stifle something severely.

“Excessive red tape can strangle small business growth.”

Opposites

propagate

How to use strangle

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

strangle growth strangle a competitor attempt to strangle

Etymology

From Old French "estrangler," ultimately from Ancient Greek "strangaloomai" ("to be strangled"), related to "strangale" ("a halter").

Full origin of strangle →

Frequently asked questions

What does “strangle” mean?

The word “strangle” means to kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air. In plain terms, to choke someone to death by the throat, or figuratively to crush or suppress something.

How do you pronounce “strangle”?

“Strangle” is pronounced STRANG-guhl (/ˈstɹeɪ̯ŋɡəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “strangle” in a sentence?

Here is “strangle” used in a sentence: “The victim was strangled with a piece of cord.”

What part of speech is “strangle”?

“Strangle” is a verb.

Where does the word “strangle” come from?

The word “strangle” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old French "estrangler," ultimately from Ancient Greek "strangaloomai" ("to be strangled"), related to "strangale" ("a halter").

How many meanings does “strangle” have?

“Strangle” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air.

Related words

strangulate strangulation

People also searched

choke gag throttle hamper propagate cramp strangulate repress stifle suffocate halter smother

Nearby words

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