chokes (back)

verb

present tense third-person singular of choke (back)
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)
  1. stifles
  2. suppresses
  3. swallows
  4. holds back
Verb
  • The high pressure also stifles the sea breeze that can bring cooler ocean air onto land.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Landscape fabric acts as a barrier that stifles this living, dynamic process.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026
Definition of stifles
Verb
  • As the left and right argue, the disproportionate influence of a select few suppresses the will of the majority.
    — Susan Ostermann, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Salt suppresses bitterness while sweetness softens the sour edges.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of suppresses
Verb
  • Yancy falls to the ground, and the hallway effectively swallows him up, leaving him heartbroken and alone.
    — Barry Levitt, Time, 23 July 2026
  • There also tends to be an excess of fabric to accommodate differing torso lengths, which swallows my 5-foot-2 frame.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Definition of swallows
Verb
  • Samsung traditionally holds back one color in the Galaxy S range to be a web exclusive and drive consumers to its website, although typically this is one of the standard black or grey colors.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
  • The hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Lake Powell serves more than 350,000 homes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Definition of holds 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

chokes
chokes (back)
chokes off
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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 9 Aug. 2026.

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