garrote

variants or garotte
Definition of garrotenext
as in to strangle
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe the goons sent by the loan shark threatened to garrote the hero with his own necktie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 garrote That means the Senate's only practical effect is adding another point at which oligarch lobbyists can garrote popular policy. Ryan Cooper, The Week, 29 Oct. 2021 Tony, unhindered by any sense of moral anguish, garrotes the man in broad daylight with a length of cable. Adam Wilson, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019 Sometimes the line between good writing and bad writing can be as thin as the piano wire with which a madman garrotes his victims. Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, 15 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garrote
Verb
  • Prosecutors allege Clancy planned the killings by sending her husband to pick up takeout food and medicine, then, while he was gone, strangled the children with exercise bands.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Her body was discovered by children and had stab wounds, severe head injuries and injuries consistent with strangling.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Both victims were illegally choked to death by white police officers.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • About five miles separate Agoura and Westlake high schools, but there seemed to be a great deal more distance between them Friday night, as host Westlake throttled the Chargers 38-7 in a nonleague game.
    Joel Beers, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • My contact at Proton Mail explained that the process can get throttled at the provider’s end.
    Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Garrote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garrote. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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