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
Jimmy Kimmel chokes up over Charlie Kirk's widow Erika in emotional monologue.
—
Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Kimmel delivered an opening monologue – occasionally choking up – that ranged across everything from jokes to the importance of the First Amendment.
—Luciana Lopez, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
In his comments Thursday, Kershaw thanked the Dodgers’ organization, the training staff and coaches, then got choked up and shed some tears when speaking about his family and his teammates.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
Theresa can be heard choking up as her mom unwraps the gift.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choke up
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Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Kimmel delivered an opening monologue – occasionally choking up – that ranged across everything from jokes to the importance of the First Amendment.
—Luciana Lopez, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
In his comments Thursday, Kershaw thanked the Dodgers’ organization, the training staff and coaches, then got choked up and shed some tears when speaking about his family and his teammates.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
Theresa can be heard choking up as her mom unwraps the gift.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 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 21 Oct. 2025.
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