CHOKE (BACK) Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

choke (back)

verb

Definition of choke (back)

as in to stifle

to refrain from openly showing or uttering choked back a sarcastic reply to an insulting question

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for choke (back)

Verb

But while security forces on the ground have largely managed to stifle any violence, Macron has been criticized for failing to adequately respond to the protesters’ demands.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Like many Jewish sites across Eastern Europe, where the Nazis’ annihilation was followed by decades of Soviet rule that stifled Jewish memory and communal life, the school’s history had been buried.

— Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of stifle

Verb

Opponents argued that the measure would've suppressed voter turnout with additional hurdles for those attempting to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

— Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Russian attacks knocked out power and water across Kyiv for hours, as Ukraine said its air defenses downed or suppressed 272 of 310 drones overnight.

— Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

Some retailers, meanwhile, chose to swallow some of the additional tax rather than pass it to shoppers in the form of higher prices, Milesi-Ferretti added.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs will someday be absorbed by the pack, their lead position in the SEC swallowed up by Florida, South Carolina and their ilk as the transfer portal and name, image and likeness payments continue to level the playing field.

— KEN SUGIURA, AJC.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of swallow

Verb

Ugly Baby was one of the rare spots in the city that didn’t hold back on heat like many in America do to appease Western palates and milder heat tolerances.

— Ali Domrongchai, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
Some investors are holding back until next year’s potentially tight presidential election, worried that if Milei loses, the next government could unravel his free-market reforms.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of hold back

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choke

choke (back)

choked

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“Choke (back).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choke%20%28back%29. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of choke (back)

verb

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