1
as in strangling
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
let go of my throat—you're choking me!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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
In a video of the attack, Johnson is seen choking Cundiff for more than a minute and a half, resuming the strangling after Cundiff appeared unconscious, causing injuries to his throat and face.
—
Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom have warned consumers that counterfeit Labubu are poorly made and may contain small, detachable parts such as eyes, hands, and feet, which present a serious choking hazard to young children.
—Haicen Yang, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
He is accused of hitting his roommate more than two dozen times in the head and choking him for several seconds, according to the criminal complaint.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Wednesday then rescues Pugsley as Gomez and Morticia arrive, but before the family can properly reunite, Isaac snatches Wednesday into his telekinetic grip, choking her.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choking
Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom have warned consumers that counterfeit Labubu are poorly made and may contain small, detachable parts such as eyes, hands, and feet, which present a serious choking hazard to young children.
—Haicen Yang, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
He is accused of hitting his roommate more than two dozen times in the head and choking him for several seconds, according to the criminal complaint.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Wednesday then rescues Pugsley as Gomez and Morticia arrive, but before the family can properly reunite, Isaac snatches Wednesday into his telekinetic grip, choking her.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking
Verb
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But these advances are also strangling the business of the dictionary.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
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After law enforcement left, the district attorney’s office said Sumpter attacked the woman, punching her in the face and strangling her.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Daily beatings that left people in wheelchairs, with broken teeth, and vomiting blood.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Then, early in the morning of February 18, Chernyak began having seizures and vomiting in his bunk bed.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The site has been weaponized to magnify climate denial and vaccine denial messaging, while drowning out actual authoritative scientific sources and voices.—
Michael E. Mann,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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In 2025, sales teams are drowning in data but starving for actionable insights.—
Rohit Shrivastava,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By now, ChatGPT and most other LLMs have mitigated such attacks, not by squashing prompt injections, but rather by blocking the channels the prompt injections use to exfiltrate confidential information.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
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Okunlola, meanwhile, hasn’t allowed a single sack or quarterback hurry in 59 pass blocking snaps while playing 120 snaps, mostly at left guard.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As part of the plea deal, additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and resisting or obstructing a peace officer were dismissed, according to court records.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, North was found guilty of destroying official documents, accepting a home security system as a gift and obstructing Congress in 1989.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The two defended their actions, including jamming a paper shredder with incriminating documents, as being necessary to secure the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon and to curb Soviet expansionism.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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If jamming a head of state’s flight is possible, so is disrupting a humanitarian airlift, a naval convoy, or a swarm of autonomous drones.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Aimer’s vocals resonate with the story of the Infinity Castle movie, filling the song with strength, determination, and vulnerability.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
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With kids settling back into school routines and store shelves filling with Halloween decor, the season is shifting.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Choking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choking. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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