1
as in strangling
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
let go of my throat—you're choking me!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vomiting
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 drowning
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in blocking
to prevent passage through by filling with something
overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of choking
The maneuver uses abdominal thrusts to clear the airway of the person choking.
—
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Participants will learn about basic CPR, how to use an automatic external defibrillator and how to intervene if someone is choking.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
The quick thinking of a Cobb County English teacher saved the life of a seventh-grader who started choking after lunch.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Remember that smaller caps are a choking hazard.
—Chris Baskind, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choking
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Participants will learn about basic CPR, how to use an automatic external defibrillator and how to intervene if someone is choking.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
The quick thinking of a Cobb County English teacher saved the life of a seventh-grader who started choking after lunch.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Remember that smaller caps are a choking hazard.
—Chris Baskind, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking
Verb
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At his hearing Tuesday, Adams admitted strangling Murray himself.—
William Morris,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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His criminal history included convictions for robbery, kidnapping and attempting to kill a corrections officer by strangling him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Legend has it that Jerry Rice’s weight routine was so intense that other players couldn’t make it through without vomiting.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Fox’s major-league career lasted 10 games with the Washington Nationals (he is mostly remembered for vomiting on the field) and the only value the Giants derived from him was including him in the multiplayer trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that netted left-hander Matt Moore.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Those that don’t will continue drowning in data while feeling increasingly blind.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The body horror depicted in the 11-episode first season is a sight to behold, from botched facelifts to the varied beauty births, the season is drowning in blood, guts, vomit and an abundance of other unseemly bodily fluids.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Thousands of protesters met in front of City Hall in the afternoon, before many marched to the federal detention center, where a mob of violent agitators swarmed the area, pushing a large construction dumpster and blocking the entrance to the building's loading dock.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road.—
KIMBERLEE KRUESI,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Justice Department felt otherwise, accusing him of federal civil rights crimes for obstructing access to a house of worship.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
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City Councilmember Mitchell Englander resigned his post and was later imprisoned in 2021, convicted of obstructing an FBI investigation into his acceptance of lavish gifts in Las Vegas from a businessman who sought favors from him.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The kids are sure to love the life-size puppets and jamming tunes.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Feb. 2026
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Adding Starlink allows Moscow to bypass Ukraine’s electronic defenses that disable drones by jamming GPS and radio signals.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Étouffée, made from the house Cajun seasoning blend simmered into a rich, dark sauce and served over white rice with a choice of shrimp or crawfish and a dinner salad, is filling without needing to be rushed.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
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Overseeing the task of filling those pages is Sarah Conway, 39, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist who joined the Reader as the new editor-in-chief in January.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Choking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choking. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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