as in stifles
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 chokes (back)
Verb
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Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Dec. 2025 -
Over-regulation stifles American growth and aids China in this crucial race for global strength.—
Samuel Field,
Boston Herald,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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When enforcement actions sweep through a community, fear suppresses economic activity almost overnight.—
Anabel Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
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Plus, the blue light our devices emit suppresses melatonin, the hormone connected to sleep regulation.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Every wildfire that takes down a transmission line, every flood that swallows a road, every heatwave that makes a solar farm falter all slow the very systems meant to replace fossil fuels.—
Natalie Unterstell,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Taroko Gorge, however, carves breathtaking grandeur from marble stone; a natural cathedral of cliffs, where suspension bridges sway above rapids and swallows dart through narrow canyons.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Neutral is considered a spot that neither boosts nor holds back economic activity, and the funds rate is just half a percentage point above where most on the FOMC see the rate landing over the long term.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
3 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Chokes (back).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chokes%20%28back%29. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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