choke

verb

ˈchōk How to pronounce choke (audio)
Definition of chokenext
1
as in to strangle
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe let go of my throat—you're choking me!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to vomit
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe the recommended procedure for helping someone who is choking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to suffocate
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to block
to prevent passage through by filling with something overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 choke Body cameras captured the moments Rialto police officers rushed to save a choking 3-year-old child last week. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Riyadh has rerouted millions of barrels per day through a pipeline from its eastern region to its Red Sea port of Yanbu as Iran has choked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz this year. — Spencer Kimball,deena Zaidi, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026 In Jambi, more than 124 acres of peatland have burned, causing choking haze in some areas and raising concerns about worsening air quality. — Trisnadi, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 There was no escaping the black pollution that choked the neighborhood then, and no reprieve now, even five weeks after the fire was extinguished. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for choke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choke
  1. strangle
  2. vomit
  3. suffocate
  4. block
  5. throttle
  6. obstruct
  7. jam
Verb
  • This has strangled Iran’s cashflow and closed the strait to Iranian maritime trade.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In May, an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of strangle
Verb
  • When his parents brought him to an emergency room, his symptoms were vomiting, fatigue, lethargy, and weakness.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Allegedly, so many cinema-goers vomited and fainted during the initial screenings of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) that theatre staff had to hand out smelling salts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of vomit
Verb
  • Not all avalanche victims die by asphyxiation — injuries from getting hit by a wall of snow or being swept through trees and rocks can kill people even if they’re not buried or suffocated.
    — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In a Miami courtroom on Friday morning, a man admitted to suffocating his estranged wife and her two young daughters with a plastic bag nearly 14 years ago.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of suffocate
Verb
  • Then, use the cotton balls to block areas where vermin may try to enter.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The Kennedy Center's board is expected to meet Thursday to consider plans for the performing arts venue's future after a federal judge blocked an earlier move for a two-year closure that would allow for substantial renovations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of block
Verb
  • And now, a quarter century later, the actress and animal rights activist throttled the internet once more by launching an OnlyFans in April, raking in millions during her first few months on the platform.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to simulating the dispersal of defense production, Taiwan is throttling the island’s mobile network to show civilians what happens when internet services are disabled.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of throttle
Verb
  • Overly rigid implementation could also obstruct productive work.
    — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The order prohibits anyone from withholding or obstructing necessary treatment or removing, discharging or transferring the child while the case is pending.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstruct
Verb
  • At that point, onboard autonomy takes over, making control link jamming largely irrelevant, Azhnyuk said.
    — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The shooting suspect then returned to the payment window, and fired again through it at employees who were trying to render aid to Garibay, until his handgun jammed, the video showed.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of jam

Phrases Containing choke

Browse Nearby Words

choirs
choke
choke (back)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Choke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choke. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on choke

Nglish: Translation of choke for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about choke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All