to kill someone by pressing their throat so that they cannot breathe

She had been strangled with her own scarf and her body dumped in the woods. 她被人用她自己的围巾勒死，弃尸于树林里。

to stop something from developing

For years, the organization was strangled by excessive bureaucracy. 该机构多年来因官僚主义作风严重，发展受到阻滞。

There is a great deal of fear that the new restrictions might strangle the country's economy. 很多人害怕新的限制措施会抑制国家的经济发展。

strangle something at birthidiom （将某事）扼杀于萌芽时