suffocate
verb
suf·fo·cate
ˈsə-fə-ˌkāt 
suffocated; suffocating
1
a(1)
: to stop the respiration of (as by strangling or asphyxiation)
(2)
: to deprive of oxygen
b
: to make uncomfortable by want of fresh air
2
: to impede or stop the development of
1
b
: to be uncomfortable through lack of fresh air
2
: to become checked in development
Examples of suffocate in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Flush it or suffocate it with tape Worst: Crush it to death
Ticks can be difficult to kill.
—
Angela Haupt, Time, 30 May 2025
The mother accuses Poppy's Playhouse of not properly training its employees and failing to recognize that her son was suffocating or had suffocated.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The irony is suffocating: While the Romanian people ultimately made the right choice, the leadership of the United States—the very country that built and led the postwar liberal world order—was quietly rooting for the other side.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Positioning games to attract diverse audiences offers a route to expansion for those companies suffocated by hyper-competition.
4.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
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Angela Haupt, Time, 30 May 2025
The mother accuses Poppy's Playhouse of not properly training its employees and failing to recognize that her son was suffocating or had suffocated.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The irony is suffocating: While the Romanian people ultimately made the right choice, the leadership of the United States—the very country that built and led the postwar liberal world order—was quietly rooting for the other side.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Positioning games to attract diverse audiences offers a route to expansion for those companies suffocated by hyper-competition.
4.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffocate
Cite this Entry
“Suffocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suffocate. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suffocate
verb
suf·fo·cate
ˈsəf-ə-ˌkāt
suffocated; suffocating
1
a
: to stop the breathing of (as by strangling)
b
: to deprive of oxygen
c
: to make uncomfortable by want of fresh air
2
: to become suffocated
especially
: to die or suffer from being unable to breathe or from lack of oxygen
Medical Definition
suffocate
verb
suf·fo·cate
ˈsəf-ə-ˌkāt
suffocated; suffocating
1
: to stop the respiration of (as by strangling or asphyxiation)
2
: to deprive of oxygen
: to die from being unable to breathe
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