MEANING
1. To compress someone's throat and obstruct breathing, usually with the hands.
2. To regulate power or restrict the rate or volume of a process.
3. A control that regulates an engine's power output.
Use it for
Hands-on strangling; interrupted breathing; a threat that becomes physicalUse its directness for sudden close-contact violence.
Words that belong together
- throttle a victim
- try to throttle someone
- throttled by an attacker
- throttle back the engine (power-control sense)
On the page
He lunged as if to throttle the visitor.
The creature throttled its prey without making a sound.
She tore at the hands throttling her and finally drew breath.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- throttle / throttles
- Past tense
- throttled
- Past participle
- throttled
- Present participle
- throttling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- throttle / throttles
- Present continuous
- am/is/are throttling
- Present perfect
- have/has throttled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been throttling
- Past
- throttled
- Past continuous
- was/were throttling
- Past perfect
- had throttled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been throttling
- Future
- will throttle / throttles
- Future continuous
- will be throttling
- Future perfect
- will have throttled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been throttling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. A forceful, often murderous verb; it need not imply death has occurred. Also means controlling power or limiting a rate. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: throttle, throttles, throttled, throttled, throttling.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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