- present participle of suffocate.
suffocating
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.
A franchise that used to cycle through mostly forgettable quarterbacks and relied on suffocating defense now hopes to win a Super Bowl by betting that its budding star can outscore just about anyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
And maybe it was the focus-sapping heat, but USC’s defense wasn’t as stifling, not as suffocating it should have been against an opponent as hopelessly overmatched as San José State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 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
"We're suffocating in the streets, we're suffocating in the subway and we're even suffocating in our rental," he said, adding they would be moving to an air-conditioned hotel room.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
I was suffocating even before we left the house, but rio one bothered to ask me how I felt.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Vocabulary lists containing suffocating
