CHOKING Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

choking

verb

Definition of choking

present participle of choke

as in strangling

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe let go of my throat—you're choking me!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vomiting

to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe the recommended procedure for helping someone who is choking

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as in drowning

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters

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as in blocking

to prevent passage through by filling with something overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings

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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 choking The family of a 7-year-old boy who nearly died after choking on a piece of meat and going into cardiac arrest reunited Monday with the paramedics and 911 dispatcher who helped save his life last month in Anne Arundel County. — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026 Construction workers, firefighters, and police officers, who stood shoulder to shoulder with him for months amid choking dust, burning debris, and twisted steel. — Raja Flores, STAT, 11 Sep. 2026 Many squish toys rely on a special filling to get that enjoyable texture, but this filling can sometimes contain unsafe chemicals or choking hazards. — Parents, 4 Sep. 2026 He was booked at the Gladesville Police Station on three domestic violence charges — common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentionally choking a person without consent — and eventually released on bail. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Faux greenery eliminates plant-toxin concerns, but loose pieces can still become choking hazards or cause an intestinal blockage if swallowed. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 He was charged with three offenses, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentionally choking a person without consent and common assault. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Speaking of choking, there was a lot of that in the episode with all the food regurgitating. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking

Verb

After fatally strangling the children, Clancy attempted suicide by cutting her wrists and jumping out of a second-story window.

— Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Jurors continue to speak out in the days after a mistrial was declared for Massachusetts mom Lindsay Clancy in the strangling deaths of her three children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan.

— Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of strangling

Verb

At one point the Spaniard could be seen vomiting into a towel.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Rodríguez Verona said survivors were disoriented and dehydrated, with many collapsing or vomiting upon reaching land.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of vomiting

Verb

An expert in vehicle-drowning deaths explained in 2017 how evidence pointed to an accidental death when a University of Missouri-Kansas City student’s body was found in the Missouri River.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
The film is also Diop’s first narrative film, taking the court case of Fabienne Kabou, a Senegalese French woman who was ultimately convicted of murder for drowning her child, as inspiration.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of drowning

Verb

At one point relatively early in Resident Evil, our hapless hero must creep through a large camper van that is blocking his exit from a tunnel.

— Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
As the lead-blocking back on Kenneth Walker III’s 60-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 early in the third quarter, Tonga sealed the edge and allowed Walker to bounce outside.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of blocking

Verb

Fajardo has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death and obstructing justice.

— Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
In a particularly bizarre breakdown during Friday’s game between the Heights and Firebells, a New York runner was ruled out for obstructing the second baseman from fielding a ground ball.

— Emily Ohman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of obstructing

Verb

In other words…the exact group of people who might still be jamming to Macklemore.

— Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 16 Sep. 2026
Electronic warfare can disrupt some unmanned systems, but autonomous drones, resistant communications links and other technologies can make jamming less reliable.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of jamming

Verb

As wedding content began filling her social media feeds after the engagement, one idea in particular caught her attention.

— Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
When the skies cleared Sunday, hundreds arrived for the festival’s final day, filling much of the grounds.

— J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026