verb
strangle
STRANG-guhl/ˈstræŋɡl/
To cut off breathing by compressing the throat.
The attacker strangles the victim, who grasps the attacker's wrists.
Etymology
Latin strangulare, “to choke,” traces back to a Greek word for a cord or noose. That underlying image of tightening connects directly with squeezing the throat.
In context
That's when you grab that cord and strangle her, don't you?
More examples
- A scarf caught in moving machinery can strangle its wearer.
- She escaped when the man trying to strangle her loosened his grip.
- High borrowing costs can strangle a small business.
Forms
strangle · strangles · strangled · strangling
strangulation noun — Blocking breathing by squeezing or compressing the throat.
Similar words
- throttle
- Also means squeezing the throat, often suggesting violent force.
- choke
- Can involve an internal blockage rather than external pressure.
- suffocate
- Means depriving someone of air, not necessarily by throat compression.