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.
has suffocated
-
present perfectof suffocate (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
It has suffocated his capacity to do what he loves – be out in front of the cameras all the time, shaping and often leading the national debate.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The three-month lockdown, from which Britain is only now gingerly emerging, has suffocated the economy and left many of the people who are demonstrating furloughed and uncertain about the future.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2020
The worst case is that your computer will no longer boot because your OS has suffocated to death.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2018
More often than not, it has suffocated USC’s offense in team run drills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2016
The surrounding ground has been cleared for agricultural purposes, and the earth, broken up by ploughing, has been washed into these estuaries, and has suffocated, as it were, the oysters in their natural position.
From The Art of Living in Australia ; together with three hundred Australian cookery recipes and accessory kitchen information by Mrs. H. Wicken by Philip E. Muskett
