Strangle vs. Choke — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 20, 2024
Strangling involves compressing the neck to restrict airflow whereas choking blocks the airway, usually by an external object.
Difference Between Strangle and Choke
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Strangling is a form of asphyxiation where pressure is applied to the neck, impacting both the airway and the blood vessels. This pressure can come from hands, a cord, or another object. In contrast, choking typically refers to an internal blockage of the airway by an object, such as food or a small item, preventing air from entering the lungs.
The method of action in strangling is external compression, which can inhibit both breathing and circulation depending on the force and location of the pressure. On the other hand, choking directly obstructs the trachea (windpipe), leading primarily to respiratory distress without necessarily affecting circulation.
Strangling can be a deliberate act often associated with violence or aggression, making it a common element in assaults or homicides. Whereas, choking is usually accidental, occurring when an object is inadvertently swallowed and lodges in the throat.
The symptoms of strangling include gasping, face discoloration, and potentially losing consciousness if the pressure is sustained. In contrast, choking victims often exhibit immediate coughing, gagging, and signs of panic, as the body reflexively attempts to clear the airway.
Responses to these situations also differ; strangling requires immediate cessation of neck compression and potentially legal intervention if it involves assault. Choking, however, often necessitates medical techniques such as back blows or the Heimlich maneuver to remove the obstruction.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Compressing the neck to restrict air
Obstruction of the airway by an object
Method of action
External pressure to neck
Internal blockage in the throat
Common causes
Assault, homicide
Swallowing food or objects incorrectly
Primary effects
Impedes breathing and circulation
Blocks air intake only
Typical response needed
Stop compression, legal action
Back blows, Heimlich maneuver
Compare with Definitions
Strangle
To hinder or impede something, like progress or function.
High taxes can strangle economic growth.
Choke
A device to control airflow in an engine or furnace.
Adjust the choke to help the engine start in cold weather.
Strangle
To compress someone's throat, reducing airflow and blood circulation.
The assailant tried to strangle the victim during the robbery.
Choke
To fail to articulate or speak in a critical moment due to stress.
She choked during her presentation and forgot her lines.
Strangle
A grappling maneuver in martial arts that focuses on the neck.
He won the match with a skillful strangle hold.
Choke
To overwhelm or overpower emotions.
She was choked with emotion when she saw him.
Strangle
To constrict or bind tightly.
The tight collar seemed to strangle him.
Choke
To stop breathing because something is blocking the throat.
He began to choke on a piece of hard candy.
Strangle
To feel or cause to feel extreme emotion or stress.
She felt strangled by her overwhelming schedule.
Choke
To block or clog a passage or opening.
Fallen leaves can choke drainage systems.
Strangle
To kill by squeezing the throat so as to choke or suffocate; throttle.
Choke
(of a person or animal) have severe difficulty in breathing because of a constricted or obstructed throat or a lack of air
Willie choked on a mouthful of tea
Strangle
To cut off the oxygen supply of; smother.
Choke
Fill (a space) so as to make movement difficult or impossible
The roads were choked with traffic
Strangle
To suppress, repress, or stifle
Strangle a scream.
Choke
Make (someone) speechless with a strong feeling or emotion
He was choked with fury
Strangle
To inhibit the growth or action of; restrict
"That artist is strangled who is forced to deal with human beings solely in social terms" (James Baldwin).
Choke
Enrich the fuel mixture in (a petrol engine) by reducing the intake of air
Carbon monoxide results during a cold start, when an engine is choked
Strangle
To become strangled.
Choke
A valve in the carburettor of a petrol engine that is used to reduce the amount of air in the fuel mixture when the engine is started
An automatic choke
Too much choke does not help
Strangle
To die from suffocation or strangulation; choke.
Choke
An act or the sound of a person or animal having difficulty in breathing
A little choke of laughter
Strangle
(transitive) To kill someone by squeezing the throat so as to cut off the oxygen supply; to choke, suffocate or throttle.
He strangled his wife and dissolved the body in acid.
Choke
The inedible mass of silky fibres at the centre of a globe artichoke.
Strangle
(transitive) To stifle or suppress.
She strangled a scream.
Choke
To interfere with the respiration of by compression or obstruction of the larynx or trachea.
Strangle
(intransitive) To be killed by strangulation, or become strangled.
The cat slipped from the branch and strangled on its bell-collar.
Choke
To check or slow down the movement, growth, or action of
A garden that was choked by weeds.
Strangle
(intransitive) To be stifled, choked, or suffocated in any manner.
Choke
To block up or obstruct by filling or clogging
Mud choked the drainpipe.
Strangle
(finance) A trading strategy using options, constructed through taking equal positions in a put and a call with different strike prices, such that there is a payoff if the underlying asset's value moves beyond the range of the two strike prices.
Choke
To fill up completely; jam
Major commuter arteries were choked with stalled traffic.
Strangle
To stifle, choke, or suffocate in any manner.
Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, . . . And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes?
Choke
To reduce the air intake of (a carburetor), thereby enriching the fuel mixture.
Strangle
To hinder from appearance; to stifle; to suppress.
Choke
(Sports) To grip (a bat or racket, for example) at a point nearer the hitting surface.
Strangle
To be strangled, or suffocated.
Choke
To have difficulty in breathing, swallowing, or speaking.
Strangle
Kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air;
He tried to strangle his opponent
A man in Boston has been strangling several dozen prostitutes
Choke
To become blocked up or obstructed.
Strangle
Conceal or hide;
Smother a yawn
Muffle one's anger
Strangle a yawn
Choke
(Sports) To shorten one's grip on the handle of a bat or racket. Often used with up.
Strangle
Die from strangulation
Choke
To fail to perform effectively because of nervous agitation or tension, especially in an athletic contest
Choked by missing an easy putt on the final hole.
Strangle
Prevent the progress or free movement of;
He was hampered in his efforts by the bad weather
The imperilist nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small countries
Choke
The act or sound of choking.
Strangle
Constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing
Choke
Something that constricts or chokes.
Strangle
Struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake;
He swallowed a fishbone and gagged
Choke
A device used in an internal-combustion engine to enrich the fuel mixture by reducing the flow of air to the carburetor.
Choke
The fibrous inedible center of an artichoke head.
Choke
(intransitive) To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air that cause the throat to constrict).
Ever since he choked on a bone, he has refused to eat fish.
Choke
(transitive) To prevent (someone) from breathing or talking by strangling or filling the windpipe.
The collar of this shirt is too tight; it’s choking me.
Choke
(transitive) To obstruct (a passage, etc.) by filling it up or clogging it.
To choke a cave passage with boulders and mud
Choke
(transitive) To hinder or check, as growth, expansion, progress, etc.; to kill (a plant by robbing it of nutrients); to extinguish (fire by robbing it of oxygen).
Choke
To perform badly at a crucial stage of a competition, especially when one appears to be clearly winning.
He has a lot of talent, but he tends to choke under pressure.
Choke
(transitive) To move one's fingers very close to the tip of a pencil, brush or other art tool.
Choke
To hold the club or bat lower on the shaft in order to shorten one's swing.
Choke
(intransitive) To be checked or stopped, as if by choking
Choke
(transitive) To check or stop (an utterance or voice) as if by choking.
Choke
(intransitive) To have a feeling of strangulation in one's throat as a result of passion or strong emotion.
Choke
(transitive) To give (someone) a feeling of strangulation as a result of passion or strong emotion.
Choke
(transitive) To say (something) with one’s throat constricted (due to emotion, for example).
Choke
(transitive) To use the choke valve of (a vehicle) to adjust the air/fuel mixture in the engine.
Choke
To reach a condition of maximum flowrate, due to the flow at the narrowest point of the duct becoming sonic (Ma = 1).
Choke
A control on a carburetor to adjust the air/fuel mixture when the engine is cold.
Choke
(sports) In wrestling, karate (etc.), a type of hold that can result in strangulation.
Choke
A partial or complete blockage (of boulders, mud, etc.) in a cave passage.
Choke
(electronics) A choking coil.
Choke
A major mistake at a crucial stage of a competition because one is nervous, especially when one is winning.
Choke
The mass of immature florets in the centre of the bud of an artichoke.
Choke
To render unable to breathe by filling, pressing upon, or squeezing the windpipe; to stifle; to suffocate; to strangle.
With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder.
Choke
To obstruct by filling up or clogging any passage; to block up.
Choke
To hinder or check, as growth, expansion, progress, etc.; to stifle.
Oats and darnel choke the rising corn.
Choke
To affect with a sense of strangulation by passion or strong feeling.
Choke
To have the windpipe stopped; to have a spasm of the throat, caused by stoppage or irritation of the windpipe; to be strangled.
Choke
To be checked, as if by choking; to stick.
The words choked in his throat.
Choke
A stoppage or irritation of the windpipe, producing the feeling of strangulation.
Choke
The tied end of a cartridge.
Choke
A coil of low resistance and high inductance used in electrical circuits to pass direct current and attenuate alternating current
Choke
A valve that controls the flow of air into the carburetor of a gasoline engine
Choke
Breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion;
She choked with emotion when she spoke about her deceased husband
Choke
Be too tight; rub or press;
This neckband is choking the cat
Choke
Wring the neck of;
The man choked his opponent
Choke
Constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing
Choke
Struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake;
He swallowed a fishbone and gagged
Choke
Fail to perform adequately due to tension or agitation;
The team should have won hands down but choked, disappointing the coach and the audience
Choke
Check or slow down the action or effect of;
She choked her anger
Choke
Become or cause to become obstructed;
The leaves clog our drains in the Fall
The water pipe is backed up
Choke
Impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of;
The foul air was slowly suffocating the children
Choke
Become stultified, suppressed, or stifled;
He is suffocating--living at home with his aged parents in the small village
Choke
Suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of;
His job suffocated him
Choke
Die;
The old man finally kicked the bucket
Choke
Reduce the air supply;
Choke a carburetor
Choke
Cause to retch or choke
Common Curiosities
Can choking be fatal?
Yes, choking can be fatal if the airway blockage is not quickly cleared.
Is strangling always intentional?
Strangling is often intentional, especially in cases of assault or murder, but accidental strangling can occur, such as in hazardous working conditions.
What is the primary difference between strangling and choking?
Strangling involves external pressure applied to the neck, affecting airflow and blood circulation, whereas choking is caused by an internal blockage in the throat.
What are common signs of someone choking?
Common signs include coughing, gagging, sudden inability to speak, and clutching the throat.
How can someone help a choking victim?
Immediate actions include back blows and the Heimlich maneuver to try to dislodge the object from the victim's throat.
How can you tell if someone is at risk of choking?
A person at risk of choking may be eating too quickly, not chewing thoroughly, or consuming overly large pieces of food. Young children are particularly at risk as they might put small objects in their mouths.
What immediate actions should be taken if someone is being strangled?
If someone is being strangled, it's crucial to intervene immediately to stop the aggressor and call emergency services. Medical assessment is often necessary as internal injuries might not be immediately visible.
What should you do if you find yourself choking and alone?
If you are alone and choking, you can perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself by using a chair or similar object to apply pressure to your upper abdomen, thrusting upward to dislodge the item.
Are there legal implications for someone who strangles another person?
Yes, strangling someone is a severe assault and is treated as a criminal offense. It can lead to charges such as attempted murder or manslaughter, depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances.
What are some typical scenarios where choking might occur?
Common scenarios for choking include eating too quickly, not chewing food properly, laughter during eating, or toddlers who put small toys or objects in their mouths.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
