choke up

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
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.
Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson got choked up when thanking his family after being awarded the Dick Howser Trophy on Friday morning in Omaha, Nebraska. Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 12 June 2026 An export ban could help keep Cushing from running dry and threatening to choke up the whole system. David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Lee audibly choked up during songs, and fans openly wept during the Peart tributes. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2026 Cusack told Entertainment Weekly in April how she got choked up after first reading the script. Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for choke up

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Cite this Entry

“Choke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20up. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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