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
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Recent Examples of chokes
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
Even the woman Larry falls for, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), isn't immune to the animal's evil charms, and the creature nearly chokes the life out of her in one scene.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 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
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Even the woman Larry falls for, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), isn't immune to the animal's evil charms, and the creature nearly chokes the life out of her in one scene.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 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
-
What worked at ten employees strangles progress at one hundred.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
At that point, both Hsiao-Lee’s life and our perspective open up toward something more hopeful, even if plenty of turmoil — including another unbearable scene in which Chiang nearly strangles Chuan to death — continues back home.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cartman starts laughing so hard that he projectile vomits all over Thiel.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
That horrible mistake reveals itself several scenes later when Katie projectile vomits into her windshield.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The order now blocks a previous ruling by a Rhode Island judge that required the payments to be paid out by Friday night, NBC News notes.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
If the customer does not recognize the purchase, the bank blocks the transaction.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Traffic regularly jams the freeway into the city, and residents fight over efforts to build more homes.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Someone breaks in, someone jams the signal from the home’s alarm system, someone monitors police radio traffic.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The test fills a diagnostic gap, allowing physicians to better evaluate and create treatment plans for patients.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Twigs ably fills the role but is not given the kind of acting showcase Cage has here.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chokes. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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