Synonyms of choke

choke

verb

ˈchōk 

1

as in to strangle

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe

let go of my throat—you're choking me!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• throttle
• suffocate
• garrote
• asphyxiate
• smother
• stifle
• scrag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• revive
• resuscitate

2

as in to vomit

to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe

the recommended procedure for helping someone who is choking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vomit
• suffocate
• gag
• heave
• stifle
• throw up
• retch
• smother
• asphyxiate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• respire

3

as in to suffocate

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air

thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• suffocate
• smother
• stifle
• drown
• destroy
• throttle
• asphyxiate
• slay
• fell
• garrote
• dispatch
• croak
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• inhale
• exhale
• revive
• resuscitate

4

as in to block

to prevent passage through by filling with something

overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• block
• obstruct
• jam
• fill
• clog
• occlude
• stop (up)
• congest
• plug (up)
• gum (up)
• dam
• stuff
• flood
• clot
• pack
• overwhelm
• cork
• stopper
• bung
• gridlock
• fur
• stopple
• spile
• silt
• swamp
• inundate
• glut

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open (up)
• free
• clear
• unplug
• hollow (out)
• unblock
• unclog
• excavate
• unstop
• scoop (out)
• empty
• lighten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of choke

There is a fear that a company will be forced to dilute shareholders or choke itself with expensive debt to build factories to fulfill orders. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

The woman denied the allegations, and Ross hit her in the chest several times, the report says, and choked her, restricting her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Some were also choked — images jurors were shown by both the defense and the prosecution. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The Challenge Getting that information somewhere it could actually be used once meant either a lot of manual keying or OCR that choked the moment a document had a complex layout. — Don Murray, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing choke

• choke (back)