Heimlich maneuver

noun

Heim·​lich maneuver ˈhīm-lik- 

: the manual application of sudden upward pressure on the upper abdomen of a choking victim to force a foreign object from the trachea

Examples of Heimlich maneuver in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On July 25, after employees attempted the Heimlich maneuver on a woman who had been choking, another called 911. — Miami Herald, 11 June 2026

The nurse used the Heimlich maneuver, a LifeVac device and then did CPR on Adrian, per ABC affiliate KLTV and CBS19. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

But while Batman tends to save lives with a plethora of gadgets and advanced combat techniques, the actor playing him wound up needing nothing more than the good old-fashioned Heimlich maneuver. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 May 2026

The father handed the unresponsive child to the officer, who began performing the Heimlich maneuver, according to DHS. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Henry J. Heimlich †2016 American surgeon

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Heimlich maneuver

• improver
• remover
• louver
• mover

Kids Definition

Heimlich maneuver

noun

Heim·​lich maneuver ˈhīm-lik- 

: a method for forcing an object out the airway of a choking person that involves standing behind the person with arms wrapped about the person's waist and applying sudden upward pressure with the fist to the area directly above the navel

Etymology

named after Henry J. Heimlich, an American surgeon born in 1920

Medical Definition

Heimlich maneuver

noun

Heim·​lich maneuver

ˈhīm-lik-

: the manual application of sudden upward pressure on the upper abdomen of a choking victim to force a foreign object from the trachea