choke

Definition of chokenext
1
as in to strangle
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe let go of my throat—you're choking me!

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2
as in to vomit
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe the recommended procedure for helping someone who is choking

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to suffocate
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters

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4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of choke The lines are growing at Russian gas stations — and so is the frustration and uncertainty as several months of Ukrainian attacks have set oil refineries ablaze and choked supplies for motorists across the vast country. Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Eddie Jenkins had been arrested for domestic battery for allegedly choking Kiara Jenkins in 2009, prosecutors said. Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 July 2026 In another corner of the pool, Garland Jones is working with Mackenzie Wesley on safe breathing techniques above the water because, in the past, putting her face under water has been uncomfortable and led to choking. Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 1 July 2026 Prosecutors laid out the deadly choking incident as the last straw, according to CBS and News 12. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for choke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choke
Verb
  • The empress returns to her chambers to weep, only to be strangled by a eunuch under the noble consort’s orders.
    Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026
  • The warning is the second issued by UCSB police since May, when an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a Sigma Pi fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • And Sydney vomiting out the news of Carmy’s departure is definitely something.
    Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Stephanie Franklin, the mother of a close friend of Benning, took multiple photos of the apartment while wearing gloves and removed a bed comforter that Benning had vomited on.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The pure, post-Bee Gees charisma Bellamy mustered in the 2000s seems to have vacated him entirely, and the song’s funkiness suffocates under the flatness of his delivery.
    Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
  • Planting the root flare too deep can suffocate the roots, causing disease.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • In March, the administration filed a new lawsuit again trying to block California’s ability to set stricter-than-federal emissions standards for cars.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Rodríguez denied those claims, saying some remote areas were difficult to reach because roads were blocked by landslides and debris, forcing authorities to rely on motorcycles, drones and satellite imagery.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Just that word, process, can throttle and snuff the life out of the subject.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Through a series of measures starting in 2022, Washington has cut off China’s access to the cutting-edge GPUs, throttling Chinese companies’ efforts in competing for the top AI models with US tech giants.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Some patients develop spasms of the vocal cords that obstruct the airway.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Such drones can’t be jammed and have to be shot down one by one.
    Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 27 June 2026
  • Dave, alongside current band members Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, Tim Reynolds, Rashawn Ross, Jeff Coffin and Buddy Strong, jammed for 2 1/2 hours, creating a performance that’s unique to and for the fans in attendance.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Choke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choke. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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