"asphyxiate" in the verb sense

1. smother, asphyxiate, suffocate

deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing

"Othello smothered Desdemona with a pillow"

"The child suffocated herself with a plastic bag that the parents had left on the floor"

2. suffocate, stifle, asphyxiate, choke

impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of

"The foul air was slowly suffocating the children"

3. suffocate, stifle, asphyxiate

be asphyxiated die from lack of oxygen

"The child suffocated under the pillow"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

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