strangle
verb
stran·gle
ˈstraŋ-gəl 
strangled; strangling
ˈstraŋ-g(ə-)liŋ
1
2
: to suppress or hinder the rise, expression, or growth of
repression strangles free speech
Examples of strangle in a Sentence
The weeds are strangling the plant.
The company is trying to strangle the smaller competition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Investigators couldn’t determine how many of them were killed, though at least one had been strangled.
—
Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Apart from more details on the reserve, industry bigwigs (who’ve long complained that the Biden administration was strangling crypto) are looking forward to some basic regulatory guidance.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
The judge’s ruling followed a hearing last week that included emotional testimony from Syed and relatives of the victim, Hae Min Lee, who was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in 1999.
—Brian Witte, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, Caesar Act sanctions that ban dealing with Syrian banks strangle the flow of financing – preventing Gulf Arab states and other potential outside investors from funding construction projects.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strangle
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Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Apart from more details on the reserve, industry bigwigs (who’ve long complained that the Biden administration was strangling crypto) are looking forward to some basic regulatory guidance.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
The judge’s ruling followed a hearing last week that included emotional testimony from Syed and relatives of the victim, Hae Min Lee, who was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in 1999.
—Brian Witte, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, Caesar Act sanctions that ban dealing with Syrian banks strangle the flow of financing – preventing Gulf Arab states and other potential outside investors from funding construction projects.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strangle
Cite this Entry
“Strangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strangle. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
strangle
verb
stran·gle
ˈstraŋ-gəl
strangled; strangling
-g(ə-)liŋ
1
: to choke to death by squeezing the throat
2
: to cause (someone or something) to choke or suffocate
3
: to suppress or hinder the rise, growth, or expression of
these rules are strangling my creativity
4
: to become strangled
5
: to die by or as if by interference with breathing
Medical Definition
strangle
verb
stran·gle
ˈstraŋ-gəl
strangled; strangling
-g(ə-)liŋ
1
: to choke to death by compressing the throat with something (as a hand or rope)
2
: to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of
the bone wedged in his throat and strangled him
1
: to become strangled : undergo a severe interference with breathing
2
: to die from interference with breathing
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