✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

choke hold

noun

1
: a hold that involves strong choking pressure applied to the neck of another
2
: absolute dominance or control
had a choke hold on the city's finances

Examples of choke hold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Carlson wrapped his giant arm into what's called a rear-naked choke hold. Quil Lawrence, NPR, 16 Nov. 2025 Minadeo jumped on Buck's back and put him in a choke hold while gouging at his eyes, according to the lawsuit. Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 Russia, in particular, is the loser here having dominated the terrain for over two centuries, imposing a choke hold and Moscow-centric dependency on its backyard from Turkmenistan to Kyrgyzstan. Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025 But the most obvious truths are sometimes worth reiterating when hostile forces, draping themselves in pseudo-concern for business and the economy, attempt to put a choke hold on art. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for choke hold

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of choke hold was in 1886

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Choke hold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20hold. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on choke hold

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!