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
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.
On opening night, as family photos blanketed the 160,000-square-foot interior screen, Richardson indeed choked up during the first lyrics, while group mate and cousin Brian Littrell, who cowrote the ballad, squeezed his eyes shut to suppress tears. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2025 At Lee & Friends panel, Gunn choked up talking about his love of comics and being moved by the art and story of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow mini-series creators Tom King, Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes, which had just been the topic of conversation. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 July 2025 James Gunn surprises the crowd at Jim Lee & Friends panel, chokes up when talking about how the art and story of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (by artist Bilquis Evely and writer Tom King) touched him so deeply. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 July 2025 And of course, all of us, had tears in our eyes and choked up. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025 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 20 Aug. 2025.

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