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choke hold

choke hold

7 7.5
A tight arm around someone's neck from behind to stop them moving or make them pass out
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃoʊk hoʊld/
  • NSFW
translation icon : llave de estrangulación
  • Bones wraps his long arm around Jeremiah's neck in a brotherly choke hold.
  • choke hold around the neck
  • put a choke hold
  • use a choke hold

Examples

  • He had me in a choke hold.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • He says that's when they charged him, and before he could defend himself, he was in a choke hold.

    Blog text (20)
  • You just put her to sleep in that same choke hold of yours.

  • Sounds like she got her in a choke hold.

  • You see how they had him in a choke hold, man?

  • Man, that was an incredible choke hold you put on me, pal.

  • Will has Julie in a choke hold.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • She calls out to Jeremy for help, and Connor puts her in a choke hold.

    Blog text (14)
  • I staggered backwards against the forklift, prepared to defend myself, but Sister Prudence slipped up behind and threw a choke hold on my neck that would have done credit to a professional wrestler.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • During the wrestling match, the champion applied a choke hold to his opponent, rendering him unable to escape.

Synonyms

headlock
vschoke hold
14 5.6

A wrestling hold where a person locks another person's head under their arm

wraps one arm around the neck instead of locking the head under an arm
chokehold
vschoke hold
  • Offensive
7 7.4

A tight grip around a person's neck that makes it hard to breathe or move

is written as two words instead of one
stranglehold
vschoke hold
  • NSFW
1 7.9

A tight arm grip around the neck that stops someone breathing

uses one arm from behind to encircle the neck
Japanese stranglehold
vschoke hold
  • Jargon
9.9

A wrestling hold where a person's arms cross in front of their neck to press the throat

uses one arm from behind instead of crossed arms in front

Antonyms

1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

How Tight

choke hold
  • NSFW
7 7.5
full nelson
  • Specialized
2 8.1
headlock
14 5.6
grip
116 1.0
to hold
1.9

Surface Forms

choke hold singular
choke holds plural

Morphology

choke + hold

The noun 'choke hold' is directly compositional: combining 'choke' (to block the airway) with 'hold' (a restraining grip) yields a restraining grip that causes choking. This literal compound follows transparent word-formation patterns found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Choke hold comes from the clear image of someone putting an arm tightly around another person's neck. The hold makes the person choke or lose breath, so the term means 'a tight restraint that stops movement or can cause someone to pass out'.