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 Inhaling powder into the lungs can cause aspiration, while choking can become an emergency. — Dr. Onaola Adedeji, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 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 If your child and/or guests are 4 years old or under, be aware of choking hazards. — Amanda Rock, Parents, 12 Aug. 2026 Along Canada’s Okanagan Lake, residents described choking smoke and a wall of fire as British Columbia declared a state of emergency. — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 In April, the former congressman suspended his campaign for governor of California after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behavior ranging from sending lewd, unwanted messages to drugging, raping and choking them. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 The friends told investigators that Nunnally grew angry and jealous multiple times that night, at one point choking Evans against the wall until the two friends pulled him off her. — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 He was also charged with assaulting a police officer who responded after witnesses allegedly saw Bryant choking his wife. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The ruling may also be choking local businesses that rely on Haitian customers, like Golden Blue Bar & Restaurant, a Haitian eatery on Flatbush Ave. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking

Verb

In January 2023, Clancy allegedly killed her three children – Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months – by strangling them with exercise bands at her Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Conahan was arrested in February 1997, accused of raping Montgomery, strangling him and cutting off his genitals to eliminate DNA tracing.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of strangling

Verb

Its protagonist, Sienna, loses her voice and begins growing scales after nearly drowning, entering an underground world of desire and danger.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
An autopsy found that Melina died from asphyxia due to drowning, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide, according to New York State Police.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of drowning

Verb

Marcos Moreno, 61, has been charged with one count each of failure to report a crash resulting in death, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, and obstructing justice.

— Todd Feurer, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
That was followed by Foster City police stating Thursday that a person has been booked on suspicion of causing a fire that injured firefighters, and obstructing police and fire investigators probing the blaze.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of obstructing

Verb

At that point, onboard autonomy takes over, making control link jamming largely irrelevant, Azhnyuk said.

— David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
There have been instances historically of drones crash-landing throughout the conflict due to electronic jamming as both Ukraine and Russia have used jamming to defend against incoming drones.

— CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of jamming

Verb

The novelty vending machines mold souvenir sculptures — a train car, a gorilla, a bust of Abraham Lincoln — in under a minute, filling a two-sided mold with hot plastic, then hollowing it out with compressed air.

— Juliet Bennett Rylah, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Mauricio Dubon, meanwhile, was expected to continue filling a super-utility role while remaining in the lineup regularly.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026