suffocates

verb

present tense third-person singular of suffocate
1
as in strangles
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

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2
as in chokes
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vomits
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building

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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 suffocates Landscape fabric suffocates microorganisms, blocks nutrients, and degrades into microplastics. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026 The pure, post-Bee Gees charisma Bellamy mustered in the 2000s seems to have vacated him entirely, and the song’s funkiness suffocates under the flatness of his delivery. — Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 The tension suffocates as He-Man reaches for his Power Sword, but Skeletor isn't backing down here either. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 June 2026 More than the page itself, the routine summons the part of his conscience that survives on muscle memory and suffocates uncertainty. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 23 May 2026 Constantly soggy soil suffocates roots and invites rot — the plant equivalent of trench foot. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026 Most beginners assume more water equals healthier plants, but constantly soggy soil suffocates roots and triggers rot. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Complexity is exactly what suffocates scale. — May Habib, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026 The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffocates
  1. strangles
  2. chokes
  3. vomits
  4. smothers
  5. drowns
  6. stifles
Verb
  • Adler said studies show that when one partner strangles another, the likelihood of a victim being killed by that partner goes up 750%.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 28 July 2026
  • By the end of the show, Daya’s addiction has turned her into the prison’s drug lord, and her mother strangles her during the series finale.
    — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026
Definition of strangles
Verb
  • One boy loops his arm around the student’s neck and chokes him.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 2026
  • Remove chokes from artichokes and steam in small amount of water for 15 minutes, adding water to pan as needed.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of chokes
Verb
  • On the night of the reprieve, Owen, cut loose for the evening by his girlfriend, who wants to canoodle with a neighbor, vomits in the vicinity of Allie’s high heels, in what might be called a meet-boot.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Moments later, Owen vomits in front of her after eating his and Malika’s meals at dinner.
    — Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of vomits
Verb
  • The writing — and its sometimes baffling aversion to the source material — is at the heart of the problem, but there’s plenty of blame to go around, from hammy acting to a cartoonish tone that smothers the whole affair.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Up in the attic, a melty miasma smothers the thick winter coats, which hurt me to even look at.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
Definition of smothers
Verb
  • With notable traffic boosts over the Android competition guaranteeing more digital inches and headlines, the associated media coverage drowns out alternatives.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • James eventually drowns, leaving Sara and Max to continue alone.
    — Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 29 July 2026
Definition of drowns
Verb
  • The altitude also plays into the Broncos’ advantage as their defense stifles De’Von Achane and company.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Industry consensus has long held that rigorous ESG compliance naturally stifles speed-to-market.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stifles

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suffocates
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Cite this Entry

“Suffocates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffocates. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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