1
as in strangling
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
let go of my throat—you're choking me!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
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Recent Examples of choking
Foreign material in food products presents health risks, including choking, damage to teeth and digestive tract injury.
—
Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Baltimore led Buffalo by 15 points with four minutes to go Sunday night before choking away a 41-40 loss in what became an instant classic.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
Infant accessories dug-up from the previous owner’s storage at the estate sale might still contain lead paint or choking hazards, and Ziomek advises to beware especially of any accessories involving sleeping, when babies are particularly vulnerable.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
The Chiefs went 12-5 after that loss to Tampa Bay, choking a second-half lead to the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choking
Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Baltimore led Buffalo by 15 points with four minutes to go Sunday night before choking away a 41-40 loss in what became an instant classic.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
Infant accessories dug-up from the previous owner’s storage at the estate sale might still contain lead paint or choking hazards, and Ziomek advises to beware especially of any accessories involving sleeping, when babies are particularly vulnerable.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
The Chiefs went 12-5 after that loss to Tampa Bay, choking a second-half lead to the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking
Verb
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Daryl charges inside and fights off walkers before strangling Chofo in the bathtub.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
5 Oct. 2025
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Daniel Yacobi was found guilty in August of strangling his 67-year-old mother Violet to death at her Beverly Hills mansion in 2017.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rates of nausea and vomiting among those patients were 13% and 11% above placebo, respectively.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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Scout stayed at the vet for observation, coughing and vomiting throughout the period, and had her vitals rechecked several hours later.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The last post shared on Allen's Instagram was a photo of him and the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died in July after drowning while on a family vacation in Costa Rica.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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The quake came as central Philippine provinces were still recovering from a storm that struck Friday, killing at least 27 people, mostly from drowning and falling trees.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kobach has petitioned top Republican lawmakers to convene a special session with the goal of blocking the Kansas Department of Revenue from resuming its practice of accommodating gender marker change requests, according to a letter sent to GOP lawmakers and obtained by The Star.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
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The announcement sparked protests, with workers blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway until police were called to disperse the crowd.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Griffith and CityBeat reporter Madeline Fening are facing charges, including disorderly conduct, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway and obstructing an emergency responder.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
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On Thursday, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on felony charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Investigators said the massive scale of electronics was poised to potentially collapse cellular service throughout New York City by jamming phone lines, 911 calls and other methods of communication in an apparent effort to sow chaos throughout the area.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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Back in 2022, wife Emma Heming Willis shared a cool video of the actor jamming with Derrick Richard Thomas in their home.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rite Aid first filed for bankruptcy in October 2023, largely because of competition from bigger chains and its debt pile, which topped $4 billion due to expensive legal battles for allegedly filling unlawful opioid prescriptions.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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Doing things for me would be washing my car or filling up my tank.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Choking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choking. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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