asphyxiate
verb (used with object)
to produce asphyxia in.
asphyxiated
-
past participleof asphyxiate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof asphyxiate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Norwegian salmon producer Mowi was hit in 2016 after warm water in Chilean fjords caused algal blooms that asphyxiated millions of fish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Victor had been dealing with breathing issues, and she wonders whether the heavy smoke might have asphyxiated him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
When Lake Nyos erupted in 1986, it asphyxiated nearly 2,000 people and wiped out four villages in Cameroon.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 18, 2024
For decades, many experts thought they asphyxiated amid the massive clouds of ash belched from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 22, 2023
Might we not be asphyxiated before the Nautilus could surface?
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
