verb
strangle
STRANG-guhl
verb
1
To kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air.
"The victim was strangled with a piece of cord."
2
To suppress or stifle something severely.
"Excessive red tape can strangle small business growth."
How to Use Strangle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo choke someone to death by the throat, or figuratively to crush or suppress something.
Common pairings
strangle growth
strangle a competitor
attempt to strangle
Word Forms
strangled past tense, strangles plural, strangles singular
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The victim was _____ with a piece of cord.
Etymology
From Old French "estrangler," ultimately from Ancient Greek "strangaloomai" ("to be strangled"), related to "strangale" ("a halter").