What does "throttle" mean?
A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.
Throttle
/ˈθɹɒt.l̩/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.
- Grammar: throttle is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abduct, accelerator, accelerator pedal, adjust.
- Useful contrasts: accelerate, boost, brake.
- Usage evidence: When she saw the marks all over the wall, she wanted to throttle the toddler.
How to use "throttle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "throttle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "throttle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "throttle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "throttle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "throttle" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abduct" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "throttle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.
- 2 a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine wordnet
- 3 The lever or pedal that controls this valve.
"To my unpractised eye, the undulations in the track were quite imperceptible, but the engineer's hand on the throttle was never still."
- 4 a pedal that controls the throttle valve wordnet
- 5 The windpipe or trachea. archaic
"Then up got Peg, and round the house gan scuttle, / In search of goods her customer to nail, / Until the Sultaun strain'd his princely throttle, / And hollow'd,—"Ma'am, that is not what I ail.["]"
Verb
- 1 To control or adjust the speed of (an engine). transitive
- 2 reduce the air supply wordnet
- 3 To cut back on the speed of (an engine, person, organization, network connection, etc.). transitive
- 4 place limits on (extent or amount or access) wordnet
- 5 To strangle or choke someone. transitive
"Grant him this, and the Parliament hath no more freedom than if it sat in his noose, which, when he pleases to draw together with one twitch of his negative, shall throttle a whole nation, to the wish of Caligula, in one neck."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air wordnet
- 7 To have the throat obstructed so as to be in danger of suffocation; to choke; to suffocate. intransitive
- 8 To breathe hard, as when nearly suffocated. intransitive
- 9 To utter with breaks and interruption, in the manner of a person half suffocated. transitive
"I have seen them shiver and look pale, Make periods in the midst of sentences, Throttle their practised accent in their fears."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"When she saw the marks all over the wall, she wanted to throttle the toddler."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "throttle"?
Common synonyms include: abduct, accelerator, accelerator pedal, adjust, arrest, asphyxiate.
How do you use "throttle" in a sentence?
When she saw the marks all over the wall, she wanted to throttle the toddler.
How do you pronounce "throttle"?
Pronounced /ˈθɹɒt.l̩/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English *throtel, diminutive of throte (“throat”), equivalent to throat + -le. Compare German Drossel (“throttle”). More at throat.
Etymology 2
From Middle English throtlen (“to choke, strangle, suffocate”), from the noun (see above). Compare German erdrosseln (“to strangle, choke, throttle”).