strangle
v.v. to stop something from growing or succeeding by cutting off what it needs. In business, this often means stopping the flow of money or resources to a project.
v. to suppress or hinder the development, growth, or free movement of something. Often describes the restriction of capital, credit, or supply in a way that prevents economic activity.
High interest rates can strangle small businesses.
The new regulations threatened to strangle the startup ecosystem by imposing impossible compliance costs on small firms.
Economists argue that the sudden withdrawal of liquidity from the market could effectively strangle the recovery before it has a chance to gain any real momentum.
From Middle English stranglen, from Old French estrangler, from Latin strangulō, strangulāre, from Ancient Greek στραγγαλόομαι (strangalóomai, “to be strangled”), from στραγγάλη (strangálē, “a halter”); compare στραγγός (strangós, “twisted”) and string. Displaced Middle English wirien, awurien (“to strangle”) (> English worry).
Transitive — requires a direct object. Frequently used in the passive voice in financial reporting.