choke up
phrasal verb
choked up; choking up; chokes up
1
: to have trouble talking because of crying or strong emotion
He chokes up whenever he tries to talk about the accident.
2
baseball
: to move one's hands to a higher position on a baseball bat
—often + on
He choked up on the bat and took a short swing.
Examples of choke up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Davis took the stage at the Beverly Hilton to honor her costar, getting choked up multiple times during her speech.
—
Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
At The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment gala earlier this month, Paltrow got choked up saying that the industry has welcomed her back.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Watch as Larry chokes up, realizing his last name will continue through this meaningful tribute.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
His sister, Trawonna Barron, choked up and wiped away tears.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choke up
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Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
At The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment gala earlier this month, Paltrow got choked up saying that the industry has welcomed her back.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Watch as Larry chokes up, realizing his last name will continue through this meaningful tribute.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
His sister, Trawonna Barron, choked up and wiped away tears.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choke up
Cite this Entry
“Choke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20up. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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