noun
stranglehold
noun
1
A grip or level of control so tight that it chokes off any freedom of movement or action.
"The company has a stranglehold on the local market."
"The wrestler locked his opponent in a stranglehold."
How to Use Stranglehold
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTotal, suffocating control over someone or something, whether physical or figurative (like a market).
Common pairings
have a stranglehold on
break the stranglehold
Word Forms
strangleheld past tense, strangleholds plural, strangleholds singular
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The company has a _____ on the local market.
Etymology
From "strangle" plus "hold."