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.
suffocating
-
present participleof suffocate.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
-
a word derived from
suffocate.
suffocateverb (used with object)to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
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.
Indonesia has been battling fires for weeks in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, sending suffocating haze across the islands and neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
He says his son should attack Garcia using suffocating, bobbing aggression - the kind that Nigel used to blow out Iran Barkley in 1990.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Last time a marine heatwave hit South Australia and Tasmania, there were starving penguins, fish kills, suffocating algae outbreaks, and jellyfish invasions.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The hopes of finding them alive were fading fast, since people can survive only so long trapped beneath the rubble without water while inhaling suffocating dust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
The words were swallowed by the suffocating spray of a skunk, which sent more than a few animals cowering and crying in every direction.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
