as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
choked back a sarcastic reply to an insulting question
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choke (back)
Verb
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And Rudy Gobert remains one of the league's most stifling rim protectors.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026 -
In New York, a broader proposal to ban masks on the subway drew criticism about stifling protests.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This led organically to feelings of love for one’s Black nannies and friendship with the children of your Black live-in maids, but this warmth had to be suppressed.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
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Is grief, guilt, or shame suppressing your willpower?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Because of that, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a pill that confirms when someone swallows it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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People talk about referees swallowing their whistles in the closing seconds of a one-point game.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This take is so dumb that it was held back in the second grade three times.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
21 Jan. 2026
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Prince Harry struggled to hold back tears during his nearly two-hour testimony at a London court on Wednesday, as part of the lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Choke (back).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choke%20%28back%29. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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