suffocate
verb (used with object)
to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
had been suffocating
-
past perfect progressiveof suffocate.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
Kentucky, whose defense had been suffocating all season, showed that while it remains the favorite to win the national title, it could find itself in trouble if front-court stars encounter foul trouble again.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2012
He had been suffocating ten or twelve inches beneath that repulsive slime, as securely captured as if he had been a thousand feet deep.
From The Cruise of the Dry Dock by T. S. Stribling
He had been suffocating in that atmosphere, while the apprentice’s chatter had driven him frantic.
From Martin Eden by Jack London
From the moment of the scene with Nikolay at Porfiry's he had been suffocating, penned in without hope of escape.
From Crime and Punishment by Constance Garnett
The doctor had certainly not tried to make his proposition very attractive, and yet she felt as if she were emerging 276 from deep waters in which she had been suffocating.
From The Peace of Roaring River by W. H. D. (William Henry Dethlef) Koerner
