Dictionary
stran•gle•hold
Pronunciation: (strang'gul-hōld"), [key]—
n.
1. Wrestling.an illegal hold by which an opponent's breath is choked off.
2. any force or influence that restricts the free actions or development of a person or group:
the stranglehold of superstition. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.