as in stifling
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 choking (back)
Verb
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The soul singer left the stifling Mississippi heat for cool Minneapolis in 1955.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Expanding your team, shouldering more projects, and growing your office space may seem like natural progressions for a successful studio—but AD100 designer Miles Redd believes that accruing too much overhead can actually be stifling.—
AD PRO,
Architectural Digest,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Smith, the playwright, isn’t holding back her enthusiasm for the source material.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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Pistons veteran Tobias Harris was holding back Diabate, when the latter threw a punch at Duren, escalating the whole situation.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Vance’s false accusations at last year’s conference – that Europe is suppressing freedom of speech and democracy, and facing civilizational decline – are now enshrined in US national security strategy.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Reinterpreting the history of slavery has given way to suppressing its memorialization entirely.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare brain disease that affects body movements, walking and balance, eye movements and swallowing, according to the Mayo Clinic.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Feb. 2026
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Progressive supranuclear palsy, also known as Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome, is a rare neurological disorder that impacts walking, balance, eye movement and swallowing, according to the Mayo Clinic.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Choking (back).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choking%20%28back%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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