Suffocate (verb)

1. To cause death or unconsciousness by preventing the intake of air.
2. To make someone feel trapped or confined and unable to breathe freely.
3. To smother or extinguish (a fire or light) by depriving it of oxygen.

Origin:

The word 'suffocate' comes from the latin word 'suffocare' meaning 'to stop up or strangle'.

Examples:

1. She woke up in the middle of the night feeling like she was suffocating and had to open the window.
2. The victim was suffocated by the attacker using a pillow.
3. The fire was suffocated by the fire department using foam.
4. The smoke from the fire was so thick that it was suffocating the people in the room.
5. The city was suffocating under the weight of its own pollution and traffic.