| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | choke |
| Synonyms: | burke, control, gag, inhibit, silence, smother, stifle, strangle, strangulate, suppress |
| Antonyms: | free, release |
| Main Entry: | gag |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | silence, stop up |
| Synonyms: | balk, bottle up, choke, constrain, cork up, cork, curb, deaden, demur, garrote, keep the lid on, muffle, muzzle, obstruct, put the lid on, quiet, repress, restrain, shut down, shy, squash, squelch, stifle, still, stumble, suppress, tape up, throttle, tongue-tie |
| Main Entry: | obstruct |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prevent, restrict |
| Synonyms: | arrest, bar, barricade, block, check, choke, clog, close, congest, crab, curb, cut off, drag one's feet, fill, foul up, frustrate, get in the way, hamper, hamstring, hang up, hide, hinder, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere, interrupt, mask, monkey with, obscure, occlude, plug, restrain, retard, sandbag, shield, shut off, slow down, stall, stonewall, stop, stopper, stymie*, terminate, throttle, thwart, trammel, weigh down |
| Antonyms: | abet, aid, assist, boost, clear, help, promote, support |
| Main Entry: | occlude |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | block, prevent |
| Synonyms: | choke, clog, close, close out, congest, curb, fill, hinder, impede, leave out, lock out, obstruct, plug, seal, shut, stop up, stopper, throttle |
| Antonyms: | allow, help, permit |
| Main Entry: | seize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abduct; take by force |
| Synonyms: | ambush, annex, apprehend, appropriate, arrest, arrogate, bag, bust, capture, carry off, catch, claw, clutch, commandeer, confiscate, conquer, exact, force, gain, get, grab, grasp, hijack, hook, impound, incorporate, kidnap, lift, nab, nail, occupy, overcome, overpower, overrun, overwhelm, pick up, pounce, secure, snag, snare, spirit away, subdue, take, take by storm, take captive, take over, take possession of, throttle, trap, usurp, wrench |
| Notes: | cease means to put an end to a state or an activity, to stop - while seize means to take hold of, to grab |
| Antonyms: | free, liberate, release |
| Main Entry: | smother |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | extinguish; cover, hide |
| Synonyms: | asphyxiate, choke, collect, compose, conceal, control, cool, cork, douse, envelop, heap, hush up, inundate, keep back, kill, muffle, overwhelm, quash, quell, quench, rein, repress, restrain, shower, shroud, simmer down, snuff, squelch, stamp out, stifle, strangle, suffocate, suppress, surround, throttle |
| Antonyms: | light, start, uncover |
| Main Entry: | squeeze |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | exert pressure on sides, parts of something |
| Synonyms: | bear, choke, clasp, clip, clutch, compress, contract, cram, crowd, crush, cuddle, embrace, enfold, force, grip, hold tight, hug, jam, jostle, nip, pack, pinch, press, quash, ram, scrunch, squash, squish, strangle, stuff, throttle, thrust, wedge, wring |
| Antonyms: | expand, uncompress |
| Main Entry: | strangle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | choke, stifle |
| Synonyms: | asphyxiate, gag, garrote/garrotte, inhibit, kill, muffle, quelch, repress, restrain, shush, smother, squelch, strangulate, subdue, suffocate, suppress, throttle |
| Notes: | strangle implies a focus on the result of this process, whereas strangulate focuses on the process itself |
| Antonyms: | free, let go, loose |
| Main Entry: | wring |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | twist, contort |
| Synonyms: | choke, coerce, compress, draw out, exact, extort, extract, force, gouge, hurt, pain, pinch, pry, push, screw, shake down, squeeze, strain, strangle, throttle, turn, wrench, wrest |
| Antonyms: | untwist |