strangle
gb/stɹˈæŋɡəl/ us/stɹˈæŋɡəl/
B2
English
megfojt, fojtogat, elfojt, strangle
VERB
B2
1
megfojt
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] strangle[s] [someone] (with [hands/a rope/etc.])
Police believe the attacker tried to strangle the victim with a belt.
A rendőrség úgy véli, hogy a támadó egy övvel próbálta megfojtani az áldozatot.
He was convicted of strangling his roommate during an argument.
Elítélték, mert egy vita során megfojtotta a lakótársát.
She fought back when he began to strangle her.
Learner examples
Someone tried to strangle him.
Valaki megpróbálta megfojtani.
Strangling a person can kill them.
Egy ember megfojtása halált okozhat.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with choke in the sense of ‘have food stuck in your throat’; strangle usually involves force from outside.
Meaning
kill by squeezing the throat
Collocations
strangle someone to death
|attempt to strangle
|strangle with bare hands
|strangle with a cord
|nearly strangled
|strangled body
|strangled victim
|strangle someone in their sleep
|strangle a child
|strangle a partner
Synonyms
choke (More general; can also mean an accidental blockage.)
|
throttle (Emphasizes violent squeezing of the neck; often dramatic.)
Antonyms
release (To stop holding or pressing the neck/throat.)
|
spare (To choose not to kill or harm.)
Themes
crime
|health
|violence
Definition
To kill someone by stopping their breathing, usually by squeezing their neck.
To kill someone by squeezing their neck or blocking their throat so they cannot breathe.
VERB
C1
2
megfojt
C1
Usage pattern:
[something] strangle[s] [something] | [someone] strangle[s] [something]
High interest rates can strangle economic growth.
A magas kamatlábak megfojthatják a gazdasági növekedést.
The new rules may strangle small businesses with extra costs.
Az új szabályok a többletköltségekkel megfojthatják a kisvállalkozásokat.
A lack of funding strangled the project before it could expand.
Learner examples
Too many rules can strangle a business.
A túl sok szabály megfojthat egy vállalkozást.
The war strangled trade.
A háború megfojtotta a kereskedelmet.
Common mistake:
In this meaning it is usually metaphorical (not physically choking).
Meaning
severely restrict or cut off
Collocations
strangle the economy
|strangle growth
|strangle investment
|strangle trade
|strangle innovation
|strangle competition
|strangle demand
|strangle supply
|strangle traffic flow
|strangle the industry
Synonyms
stifle (Focuses on limiting progress or activity, often gradually.)
|
choke off (Highlights cutting something off so it cannot continue.)
|
constrict (More formal; suggests making something narrower or tighter.)
Antonyms
stimulate (To encourage activity or growth instead of restricting it.)
|
boost (To increase or strengthen rather than limit.)
Themes
business
|politics
|society
Definition
To stop something from working well by limiting it a lot.
To severely limit, restrict, or cut off something such as money, supply, movement, or activity.
VERB
C1
3
megfojt
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] strangle[s] [an idea/creativity/debate/etc.]
Fear of failure can strangle creativity.
A kudarctól való félelem megfojthatja a kreativitást.
Censorship strangled public debate during the crisis.
A válság idején a cenzúra megfojtotta a nyilvános vitát.
Micromanagement can strangle a team’s initiative.
Learner examples
Stress can strangle creativity.
A stressz megfojthatja a kreativitást.
Censorship can strangle free speech.
A cenzúra megfojthatja a szólásszabadságot.
Common mistake:
This meaning overlaps with ‘stifle’; use strangle when you want a stronger, harsher image.
Meaning
stop something from developing
Collocations
strangle creativity
|strangle debate
|strangle reform
|strangle progress
|strangle freedom of speech
|strangle new ideas
|strangle initiative
|strangle change
|strangle opportunity
|strangle development
Synonyms
smother (Suggests covering something so it cannot grow or be noticed.)
|
quash (Emphasizes stopping something quickly and decisively.)
|
suppress (Often used for preventing expression, especially by authority.)
Antonyms
foster (To help something develop rather than stop it.)
|
nurture (To support gradual growth and development.)
Themes
education
|work
|society
Definition
To stop something (like an idea) from growing or happening.
To prevent an idea, process, or activity from developing or being expressed freely.
VERB
C1
4
fojtogat
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] strangle[s] [someone] | [someone] be strangled (by [smoke/emotion/etc.])
The tight collar felt like it was strangling him.
A szoros gallér úgy szorította, mintha fojtogatná.
Smoke from the fire seemed to strangle everyone in the room.
A tűz füstje szinte mindenkit fojtogatott a szobában.
She was strangled by tears and couldn’t speak for a moment.
Learner examples
This shirt collar is strangling me.
Ez az inggallér fojtogat.
The smoke almost strangled us.
A füst majdnem megfojtott minket.
Common mistake:
This does not always mean ‘kill’; it can mean ‘make breathing difficult’ without death.
Meaning
make breathing difficult by tightness
Collocations
strangle someone
|be strangled by smoke
|be strangled by a collar
|a scarf strangled him
|strangle someone’s breathing
|strangle someone’s throat
|feel strangled
|strangled cough
|strangled sob
|strangled voice
Synonyms
choke (More common for breathing difficulty; can be accidental.)
|
suffocate (Focuses on lack of air; often more general than neck pressure.)
Antonyms
breathe (To take air in and out normally.)
|
ventilate (To allow air to move freely, preventing breathing problems.)
Themes
health
|daily_life
Definition
To make it hard for someone to breathe, like something is tight around their throat.
To make someone unable to breathe easily by tightening around their throat or by strongly affecting their breathing.
VERB
C1
5
elfojt
B2
Usage pattern:
[plant/thing] strangle[s] [plant/thing] | strangle [a fire] (with [sand/a blanket/etc.])
The ivy began to strangle the young tree.
A borostyán kezdte elfojtani a fiatal fát.
Mulch helps stop weeds that would otherwise strangle the plants.
A mulcs segít megállítani a gyomokat, amelyek különben elfojtanák a növényeket.
He threw a blanket over the pan to strangle the flames.
Learner examples
Weeds can strangle small plants.
A gyomok elfojthatják a kis növényeket.
Cover the fire to strangle the flames.
Takard le a tüzet, hogy elfojtsd a lángokat.
Common mistake:
In gardening, the subject is often the plant doing the crowding (e.g., vines strangle a tree).
Meaning
smother a plant or fire
Collocations
weeds strangle seedlings
|vines strangle trees
|ivy strangled the hedge
|roots strangle a plant
|strangle a fire
|strangle the flames
|strangle a small blaze
|plants strangled by ivy
|a strangled sapling
|strangle competing plants
Synonyms
smother (Common for putting out a fire or preventing air from reaching something.)
|
choke (Often used for plants: to stop growth by crowding.)
Antonyms
nourish (To support healthy growth instead of restricting it.)
|
feed (For fire: to provide fuel/oxygen rather than cut it off.)
Themes
nature
|home
|daily_life
Definition
To stop something living or burning by not letting it get enough air, light, or space.
To stop something from surviving or continuing by depriving it of air, light, or space, especially when plants crowd other plants, or when a fire is cut off from oxygen.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
6
strangle
C2
Usage pattern:
a strangle on [a stock/index] | buy/sell a strangle
She bought a strangle ahead of earnings because she expected a big move.
Az eredményközlés előtt vett egy strangle-t, mert nagy árfolyammozgásra számított.
Selling a strangle can generate premium, but the risk can be large.
Egy strangle eladása díjbevételt hozhat, de nagy lehet a kockázat.
The trader closed the strangle when volatility dropped.
Common mistake:
Not related to the physical verb meaning; this is a specialized finance noun.
Meaning
options strategy with two strikes
Collocations
buy a strangle
|sell a strangle
|long strangle
|short strangle
|options strangle
|a strangle on the stock
|enter a strangle
|set up a strangle
|profit from a strangle
|strangle strategy
Synonyms
options strangle (The fuller term; same meaning.)
Antonyms
covered call (A different options strategy with a different risk profile.)
Themes
finance
|business
Definition
In trading, a plan using a call and a put at different prices.
In finance, an options strategy that involves buying or selling a call and a put with different strike prices but the same expiration date, used to bet on (or hedge against) a large move in price.
Grammar
Dictionary form
strangle
IPA
GB/stɹˈæŋɡəl/
US/stɹˈæŋɡəl/
Syllables & stress
strangle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (strangle)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: strangle
- 3rd Person Singular: strangles
- Present Participle: strangling
- Past: strangled
Expressions
have a stranglehold on
1/hˈæv ə stɹˈæŋɡəlhˌoʊld ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
have very strong control
To control something strongly.
Examples
- A few big companies have a stranglehold on the market.
- For years, the party had a stranglehold on local politics.
- Social media can have a stranglehold on people’s attention.
Learner examples
- That company has a stranglehold on the market.
- He has a stranglehold on the team’s decisions.
strangle (something) in the cradle
1/stɹˈæŋɡəl sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɪn ðə kɹˈeɪdəl/
idiom
stop early before it grows
To stop something when it is just beginning.
Examples
- The proposal was strangled in the cradle by a lack of funding.
- They tried to strangle the reform in the cradle before it reached parliament.
- Bad reviews can strangle a new product in the cradle.
Learner examples
- They strangled the plan in the cradle.
strangle the life out of (something)
1/stɹˈæŋɡəl ðə lˈaɪf ˈaʊt əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
suppress completely and harshly
To stop something by controlling it too much.
Examples
- Too much bureaucracy can strangle the life out of a small company.
- Constant criticism strangled the life out of his confidence.
- The new policy strangled the life out of community projects.