to choke back

Examples

• All

• As she listened to the sad news, she had to choke back her tears.

• I managed to choke back a sob that struggled to burst forth.

  Fiction book (2002)

• "I feel like I could have done more," he said, choking back tears.

  Blog text (23)

• I choked back a lump in my throat, but it was no use.

  Academic text (1996)

• And he was choking back soft, soft sobs.

  The Proposal (2009)

• "Do you know why he would do that, Doctor?" Niemann tried to choke back tears.

  Fiction book (1995)

• "Every room is the wrong room," Simon says, choking back a sob.

  Blog text (21)

• Mark retreated to his bedroom, where he sprawled on his bed and for a moment choked back tears.

  Fiction book (1999)

• The prayers, the silence, everyone veiled behind their sunglasses, choking back tears.

  Fiction book (2002)

• Christina, of the island, strong as granite, choked back sobs.

  Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

H

to hold back

vsto choke back

108 4.2

Keep yourself from showing feelings or telling others

is the same hiding but stresses doing so with difficulty

C

to choke

vsto choke back

97 4.9

To find it hard to speak because you feel strong emotion

emphasizes doing this while struggling or feeling it is hard

S

to suppress

vsto choke back

88 5.8

To hold back feelings or reactions

focuses on the same holding back but with noticeable struggle

R

to repress

vsto choke back

75 6.6

Keep strong feelings or memories from coming into the mind

is similar but describes an immediate, effortful keeping in the moment

R

to restrain

vsto choke back

72 4.6

Keep strong feelings under control so you do not act on them

is similar but stresses doing so with real difficulty

H

to hold in

vsto choke back

65 4.5

To stop yourself from showing strong feelings

involves more effort and difficulty to keep the feeling inside

S

to stifle

vsto choke back

49 5.3

To hold back a feeling or reaction so it does not show

is the same restraint but carried out with personal effort and strain

S

to smother

vsto choke back

39 6.0

To stop a feeling or sound from being shown

achieves hiding but requires visible effort or inner struggle

S

to strangle

vsto choke back

33 6.7

To limit growth or activity so it cannot continue

applies to emotions too but the key focuses on a difficult personal hold

B

to bottle up

vsto choke back

24 5.6

To keep strong feelings inside instead of telling others

is more about a single hard effort to stop an immediate reaction

S

to swallow

vsto choke back

• Informal

5 7.0

To take back words you said

is the same suppression but done with noticeable effort or pain

K

to keep back

vsto choke back

4 5.1

Stop yourself from showing an emotion like tears or laughter

is similar but highlights personal struggle in preventing the feeling

C

to choke down

vsto choke back

2 7.7

To stop yourself from showing strong feelings like sadness or anger

is the same action but done with notable difficulty or strain

F

to fight down

vsto choke back

1 7.0

To try hard to hold back a strong feeling

matches this struggle but usually stresses a single intense effort

S

to smother one's anger

vsto choke back

• Informal

7.5

To stop yourself from showing angry feelings

also conceals anger but with extra difficulty implied in action

H

to hold back one's laughter

vsto choke back

3.7

To stop yourself from making a sound when something is funny

is broader and refers to holding in many emotions with difficulty

Antonyms

E

to express

∞ 2.3

To show ideas and feelings by words or actions

R

to release

∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

How Suppressed

to stifle

49 5.3

to suppress

88 5.8

to choke back

4 7.0

to restrain

72 4.6

to hold back

108 4.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology