choke

verb \ ˈchōk \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

choked; choking

1 : to check or block normal breathing of by compressing or obstructing the trachea or by poisoning or adulterating available air

The unwary guard was choked to death by a prisoner.

2 a : to check or hinder the growth, development, or activity of

The flowers were choked by the weeds.

b : to obstruct by filling up or clogging

Leaves choked the drain.

c : to fill completely : jam

roads choked with traffic

3 : to enrich the fuel mixture of (a motor) by partially shutting off the air intake of the carburetor

4 : to grip (something, such as a baseball bat) some distance from the end of the handle —usually used with up

The batter choked up the bat and cut down his swing.

intransitive verb

1 : to become choked in breathing

He choked on a bone.

2 a : to become obstructed or checked

b : to become or feel constricted (see constrict 1) in the throat (as from strong emotion) —usually used with up

choked up and couldn't finish the speech

3 : to shorten one's grip especially on the handle of a bat —usually used with up

4 : to lose one's composure and fail to perform effectively in a critical situation

had a chance to win the game but he choked

See choke defined for English-language learners

See choke defined for kids

Examples of choke in a Sentence

Chew your food well so you don't choke.
We were choking on fumes.
The thick smoke was choking me.
The flowers were choked by the weeds.

Recent Examples of choke from the Web

Some will choke the side streets in the area to try and get a good view of pyrotechnic explosions making pretty colors in the sky, even bringing lawn chairs to get more comfortable.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Don't park along Houston's freeways to watch July 4th fireworks," 3 July 2018
The massive blaze was choking skies with ash and smoke, prompting some officials to cancel Fourth of July fireworks shows and urge people to stay indoors to protect themselves from the unhealthy air.

— colleen slevin, The Seattle Times, "Wildfire destroys over 100 Colorado homes ahead of holiday," 3 July 2018
The massive blaze was choking skies with ash and smoke, prompting some officials to cancel Fourth of July fireworks shows and urge people to stay indoors to protect themselves from the unhealthy air.

— colleen slevin, chicagotribune.com, "Wildfire destroys more than 100 Colorado homes," 3 July 2018
Sunflowers choke the fields of the country’s flatlands.

— fluto shinzawa, BostonGlobe.com, "The soundtrack of the Tour de France," 29 June 2018
Police records stated that Inskeep punched, choked, scratched, bit and eventually pushed the victim onto a table, knocking off glassware and causing foot injuries as the victim fled.

— madeline mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Police: Man climbed tree to get into Northside home, beat resident," 28 June 2018
Sure enough, six months later, the Senate choked on its bid to pass a sweeping rewrite of border and immigration laws.

— paul kane, Anchorage Daily News, "Congress' record on immigration is repeated failures," 24 June 2018
Before you choke on your apple pie, consider the ways in which Russia is distinctly American.

— andrew beaton, WSJ, "Why American Soccer Fans Should Root for... Russia?," 12 June 2018
Ordered to stay away from the woman and her Escondido residence, McGill repeatedly disobeyed his commander and pointed an unloaded firearm at her, squeezed her arms, pushed her head and choked her neck, authorities believe.

— carl prine, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Charges at Marine unit include kidnapping, firearms, domestic abuse and more," 9 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'choke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of choke

Middle English, alteration of achoken, from Old English ācēocian, from ā-, perfective prefix + cēoce, cēace jaw, cheek — more at abide, cheek

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

choke Synonyms

choke

noun

[by folk etymology from artichoke]

: the filamentous inedible center of an artichoke flower head; broadly : an artichoke flower head

2 : something that obstructs passage or flow: such as

a : a valve for choking (see ¹choke 3) a gasoline engine

b : a constriction in an outlet (as of an oil well) that restricts flow

c : reactor 2

d : a constriction (such as a narrowing of the barrel or an attachment) at the muzzle (see ¹muzzle 3) of a shotgun that serves to limit the spread of shot

3 : the act of choking

A few chokes dislodged the food in her throat.

See choke defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of choke from the Web

From its game one masterpiece against Germany to the emotion of surviving despite a choke job against Sweden, there’s been a glut of entertainment from an unpredictable team.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "World Cup: Ranking the matchups in the Round of 16," 29 June 2018
But even a slight change in nutrients commonly found in farm fields or canals that contain stormwater runoff can cause heavy damage and choke marshes with cattails.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Could raising a 90-year-old road fix South Florida's water problems?," 18 June 2018
Then, when the petals are all gone, scoop off the fuzzy choke and savor the soft heart, dunking it in even more butter.

— melissa clark, New York Times, "Diving Into the Artichoke, That Delicious Mess," 4 May 2018
Having fled the choke of home, Damon (played with innocence and fire by Ryan Jamaal Swain) has come to New York City with dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

— jason parham, WIRED, "With Pose, Prestige TV Becomes Resistance TV," 1 June 2018
Hein avoids that but in the process Ramos takes the back and looks for a rear naked choke.

— todd martin, latimes.com, "Davi Ramos vs. Nick Hein live round-by-round coverage," 12 May 2018
Then, when the petals are all gone, scoop off the fuzzy choke and savor the soft heart, dunking it in even more butter.

— melissa clark, New York Times, "Diving Into the Artichoke, That Delicious Mess," 4 May 2018
The earliest subpoena was on March 5, five days after the Citizen Times published leaked police body camera footage that showed Hickman choke and strike city resident Johnnie Rush while holding him on the ground after shocking him with a Taser.

— Fox News, "Records tied to ex-officers beating of black man subpoenaed," 4 Apr. 2018
Then, when the petals are all gone, scoop off the fuzzy choke and savor the soft heart, dunking it in even more butter.

— melissa clark, charlotteobserver, "Diving into the delicious mess that is the artichoke | Charlotte Observer," 15 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of choke

see ¹choke

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1736

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Automotive Terms

articulated, block, clutch, diesel, neutral, transmission

CHOKE Defined for English Language Learners

choke

verb

: to become unable to breathe usually because something gets stuck in your throat or because the air is not good for breathing
: to cause (someone) to stop breathing by squeezing the throat
: to make (someone) unable to breathe in a normal way