choking (back)

verb

Definition of choking (back)next
present participle of choke (back)
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)
  1. stifling
  2. holding back
  3. suppressing
  4. swallowing
Verb
  • Debt acts as a ceiling on private investment, further stifling growth.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The weather served up truly stifling heat, including a stretch of highs in the mid-90s, and a few days of air quality emergency due to wildfire smoke drifting across the upper Midwest.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stifling
Verb
  • Stocks fell again on Thursday after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC that capital for AI is scarce and holding back growth.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Slowik said there’s a bigger problem that’s holding back the offense.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of holding back
Verb
  • After 20 years of suppressing his feelings, therapy helped Harry give himself permission to grieve and acknowledge his pain.
    — Esther Lian, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Embracing uncertainty does not mean ignoring danger, suppressing disappointment or insisting that every setback is positive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • For head and neck cancer survivors specifically, nearly all clinicians routinely assess cancer recurrence, swallowing and thyroid function.
    — Marci Lee Nilsen, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026
  • People who have been infected with salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria, health officials said.
    — Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of swallowing
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

choking
choking (back)
choking off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Choking (back).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choking%20%28back%29. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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