asphyxiate

verb

as·​phyx·​i·​ate as-ˈfik-sē-ˌāt How to pronounce asphyxiate (audio)
əs-
asphyxiated; asphyxiating

transitive verb

: to cause asphyxia in : to kill, suspend animation in, or make unconscious through want of adequate oxygen, presence of noxious agents, or other obstruction to normal breathing
The murder victim was asphyxiated.

intransitive verb

: to become asphyxiated
… ended in several deaths, including that of a … secretary who asphyxiated during a smoke bombing.Robert I. Friedman

Examples of asphyxiate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the indictment returned by a Georgia grand jury in May detailed a gruesome confrontation in which Ibarra allegedly asphyxiated the student, hit her over the head with a rock to the point of disfiguring her skull, and pulled up her clothing, intending to rape her. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024 She was struck in the head with a rock several times and asphyxiated, according to court documents. Nicole Chavez, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024 Both men asphyxiated from a toxic concentration of hydrogen sulfide inside the hold, according to Danish maritime authorities. USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024 On the occasion of his 100th birthday last week, former-President Jimmy Carter received praise from across the political spectrum for his leadership in freeing important parts of the U.S. economy from the asphyxiating tentacles of the regulatory state. Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for asphyxiate 

Word History

Etymology

see asphyxia

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of asphyxiate was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near asphyxiate

Cite this Entry

“Asphyxiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asphyxiate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

asphyxiate

verb
as·​phyx·​i·​ate as-ˈfik-sē-ˌāt How to pronounce asphyxiate (audio)
asphyxiated; asphyxiating
: to cause asphyxia in
asphyxiation noun

Medical Definition

asphyxiate

verb
as·​phyx·​i·​ate -sē-ˌāt How to pronounce asphyxiate (audio)
asphyxiated; asphyxiating

transitive verb

: to cause asphyxia in
also : to kill or make unconscious through inadequate oxygen, presence of noxious agents, or other obstruction to normal breathing
asphyxiation noun
asphyxiator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on asphyxiate

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