choke back
verb
choked back; choking back; chokes back
: to have difficulty not showing or expressing (tears, rage, anger, etc.)
He was choking back tears as he talked about his late wife.
She struggled to choke back her anger as she listened to their criticisms.
Cite this Entry
“Choke back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20back. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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