stranglehold
noun
stran·gle·hold
ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld 
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that stops something from growing or developing
… opened three stores within a year and got a stranglehold on market share.—
Inc.
Inc.Examples of stranglehold in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was, of course, one gleaming exception to the cultural stranglehold that Sinners versus One Battle After Another held last winter.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
His law could lead to the kind of sweeping rules that helped break the stranglehold of Big Tobacco in the 1990s, which followed a combination of litigation, regulation and public opinion.
—Parmy Olson, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Game 4 is Sunday night at Honda Center, when the Ducks can take a stranglehold on the two-time defending Western Conference champs.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
His law could lead to the kind of sweeping rules that helped break the stranglehold of Big Tobacco in the 1990s, which followed a combination of litigation, regulation and public opinion.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stranglehold
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
His law could lead to the kind of sweeping rules that helped break the stranglehold of Big Tobacco in the 1990s, which followed a combination of litigation, regulation and public opinion.
—Parmy Olson, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Game 4 is Sunday night at Honda Center, when the Ducks can take a stranglehold on the two-time defending Western Conference champs.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
His law could lead to the kind of sweeping rules that helped break the stranglehold of Big Tobacco in the 1990s, which followed a combination of litigation, regulation and public opinion.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stranglehold
Cite this Entry
“Stranglehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stranglehold. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stranglehold
noun
stran·gle·hold
ˈstraŋ-gəl-ˌhōld
1
: an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
2
: a force or influence that chokes or blocks freedom of development or expression
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