1
as in strangles
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
let go of my throat—you're choking me!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in smothers
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in blocks
to prevent passage through by filling with something
overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of chokes
Bond chokes Blofeld, who quickly dies from the virus.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Much of the work focused on pulling out English ivy, an invasive vine known for slowly killing trees, and clearing debris that chokes the forest floor.
—Brian Unger, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Physical bullying happens when a child hits, kicks, trips, pushes, chokes or otherwise hurts another child.
—Dr. Mahvash Madni, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Hybrid-resilient architecture—local backups that can kick in like muscle memory when the cloud chokes.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Broken baggage chokes landfills and decomposes at a glacial pace.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Again, Dylan absolutely chokes.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2024
There’s a moment in the second film that really chokes me up.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Much of the work focused on pulling out English ivy, an invasive vine known for slowly killing trees, and clearing debris that chokes the forest floor.
—Brian Unger, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Physical bullying happens when a child hits, kicks, trips, pushes, chokes or otherwise hurts another child.
—Dr. Mahvash Madni, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Hybrid-resilient architecture—local backups that can kick in like muscle memory when the cloud chokes.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Broken baggage chokes landfills and decomposes at a glacial pace.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Again, Dylan absolutely chokes.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2024
There’s a moment in the second film that really chokes me up.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chokes
Verb
-
Mostly, though, Boland strangles batters with his suffocating and deadly-accurate line and length.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
What starts as an innocent father/daughter college visit takes a shocking turn when Tony brutally strangles a Mob turncoat.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
My cat vomits once every week or two.—
Jane Sykes,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Be aware the virus may be aerosolized when someone vomits, meaning surfaces several feet away could be contaminated, the USDA said.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
If either smothers the grass for long periods, this can compact soil and lead to mold problems.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
-
At Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, Mediterranean scrub smothers steep hillsides that edge abruptly to meet a surreal, gin-clear water.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Police have reported three incidents, all of them just blocks from each other in the South Shore and Grand Crossing communities.—
Natalie Goldstick,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The 24-year-old succeeds against all three levels of the pass defense, blocks well against defensive backs and even front-seven defenders and runs for yards off jet-motion touches, screens and downfield passes.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Health care costs have risen dramatically faster than the spending cap set by TABOR, which in turn throttles other aspects of the state budget.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Gordon throttles Rankin, establishes six man dynasty Gordon defeated Rankin 69-22 in the Class 1A Division I six man state championship with a walk off touchdown Wednesday to claim its third consecutive state title.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Open the oven door and remove anything that obstructs your path, like the oven racks and drawer.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The move effectively jams the upper chamber by including the repeal in the funding package without the necessary time to reverse course, giving the Senate no option but to approve it.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Traffic regularly jams the freeway into the city, and residents fight over efforts to build more homes.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Live music fills multiple stages.—
Audrey T. Williams,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Saying yes to work that fills time but drains energy is a financial choice, whether it's labeled that way or not.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chokes. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
