choke (back)

verb

Definition of choke (back)next
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)
  1. stifle
  2. suppress
  3. swallow
  4. hold back
Verb
  • Cubans strolled along el Paseo del Prado promenade in the inky night, desperate to escape the stifling heat of their homes.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • The outages come as some areas are expected to experience severe weather and stifling heat again on Saturday.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 July 2026
Definition of stifle
Verb
  • Despite not caring what happens to Eli James, Charles leads the town in trying to suppress the fire.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • While accountability matters, that environment can unintentionally suppress creativity, innovation, and professional autonomy.
    — Tiffany Thenor, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Symptoms of infant botulism include constipation, a floppy neck and trouble swallowing, the CDC says.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
  • In a darkly comedic twist, Beadie changes her mind after swallowing a lethal dose, and Jessa frantically calls the paramedics to save her life.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of swallow
Verb
  • This stock has lagged in 2026 as mortgage rates stay stubbornly high and hold back housing activity.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 July 2026
  • Skeptics have argued that generous welfare benefits and the resulting high taxes have held back the Nordic economies.
    — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of hold back
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.

Browse Nearby Words

choke
choke (back)
choked
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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 15 Jul. 2026.

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