stranglehold

[ strang-guh l-hohld ]
/ ˈstræŋ gəlˌhoʊld /

noun

Wrestling. an illegal hold by which an opponent's breath is choked off.
a restraining hold in which one person uses an arm to encircle the neck of another; a chokehold.
any force or influence that restricts the free actions or development of a person or thing; a stifling grip: to break the stranglehold of superstition.

Origin of stranglehold

First recorded in 1890–95; strangle + hold1

Example sentences from the Web for stranglehold

British Dictionary definitions for stranglehold

stranglehold
/ (ˈstræŋɡəlˌhəʊld) /

noun

a wrestling hold in which a wrestler's arms are pressed against his opponent's windpipe See also Japanese stranglehold
complete power or control over a person or situation