Standard Lemma guide

stranglehold

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T R AE1 NG G AH0 L HH OW2 L D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • For years the company had a stranglehold on the rest of the industry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To hold a tight grip or control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a wrestling hold in which the arms are pressed against the opponent's windpipe

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrestling hold

4

noun

Meaning 4

complete power over a person or situation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • corporations have a stranglehold on the media
  • the president applied a chokehold to labor disputes that inconvenienced the public

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chokehold, throttlehold

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: power, powerfulness

History

Etymology

From strangle + hold.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: задушаване (zadušavane) — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Dutch: verwurging — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Faroese: kvørkratak — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • German: Würgegriff — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Italian: stretta — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Italian: morsa — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Polish: duszenie — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Russian: мёртвая хватка (mjórtvaja xvatka) — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Spanish: dominio — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Swedish: järngrepp — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Swedish: strypgrepp — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off
  • Swedish: stryptag — grip or control so strong as to stifle or cut off