CHOKING Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

choking

verb

Definition of choking

present participle of choke

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

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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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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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

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 choking Blackwell was charged with strangulation and simple assault after allegedly grabbing his girlfriend by her wrist and choking her on April 4, according to the criminal complaint. — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 30 July 2026 There are dozens more fires burning across the state, choking the air in Oregon and sending smoke across the country. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 Cotton is one of more than 100 million people across the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic breathing in dangerous air brought by thick, choking plumes of smoke from wildfires in Canada. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 The trend, which was popular on TikTok at the time, involves intentionally choking oneself or holding one’s breath until passing out. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026 Charlotte-area forecasters are monitoring Canadian wildfire smoke choking a wide swath of the country, from the Great Lakes to Pennsylvania and New York. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026 Art Fairs are simultaneously choking the life out of some galleries while trying to give offer them a breath of fresh air via alternative models and boutique sensibilities. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026 Smoke from the blazes has been choking American cities and towns from Minnesota to New York for days. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 17 July 2026 Air quality ranging from hazardous to unhealthy is also affecting parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, choking major northeastern cities like Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore, according to AirNow. — Ava Berger, NPR, 16 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking

Verb

After strangling her children, Lindsay Clancy cut her wrists and throat and jumped from that window, testimony on Monday showed.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
Prosecutors accused the Massachusetts mother of strangling her three children — Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan — to death at their home in a Boston suburb in 2023.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026

Definition of strangling

Verb

Any attempt to recapture their childhoods was quickly quashed, however, as exemplified by Dee getting her hair caught in a drop-tower ride and Dennis vomiting right next to her.

— Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
Soap and water keep you safe, though, so if someone around you is vomiting or has diarrhea, Griffin says, head for the sink.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026

Definition of vomiting

Verb

Since Trigg's death, Emilie Kiser has used her platform to advocate for drowning prevention.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Tony tries drowning his sorrows at the bar of the Flagship, a no-frills seafood eatery run by a man identified only as Chef (Antonio Banderas).

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026

Definition of drowning

Verb

When Duterte refused, China began blocking Filipino fishermen from the shoal again.

— Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
The prior month a federal court judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate arrests in Southern California.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of blocking

Verb

Felony charges were later downgraded to misdemeanor charges of obstructing a peace officer and criminal mischief before being dropped altogether last month after Wilhoite was accepted into a diversion program.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Lozano Flores is being held at the Ada County Jail on suspicion of lewd conduct with a child younger than 16, first-degree kidnapping, and resisting and obstructing an officer.

— Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026

Definition of obstructing

Verb

He’s been jamming with The Internet again, his collective with childhood friends Syd and Matt Martians, who emerged from the Odd Future nexus to become a pacesetting act for young R&B and hip-hop fans.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Growing up, Tanner Dane and his best-friends-turned-bandmates used to spend hours and hours jamming in his Elgin attic.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

Definition of jamming

Verb

Previously, applicants were to be reviewed by a screening committee to suggest top applicants to the superintendent’s leadership team, who then sent a recommendation for filling the position.

— Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026
Ultimately, the best bar complements a whole-food diet, filling nutritional gaps rather than replacing essential meals.

— Jess Cording, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026