to choke out a laugh
- phrasal verb
:
ahogar una risa
- Despite the tension in the room, she choked out a laugh at his awkward joke.
Examples
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He choked out a laugh, trying to hide his shock at the surprise announcement.
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Sarah choked out a laugh, not quite believing what she had just heard.
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She choked out a laugh during the serious meeting.
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I couldn't help but choke out a laugh when he tripped.
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Amidst the somber discussion, she choked out a laugh at the unexpected comment.
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He choked out a laugh while trying to hold back his surprise at the sudden twist in the story.
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As the news unfolded, he choked out a laugh, finding the situation too unbelievable.
Synonyms
237
2.0
To laugh quietly to yourself when something is slightly funny
153
1.0
Laugh in a silly or nervous way with short high sounds
3
7.4
To laugh in a short nervous way at something slightly funny or awkward
3
1.9
To make a quiet sound because something is funny so you do not disturb others
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense can be partly derived from the constituents: 'choke' (to stifle/have difficulty) plus 'out' (to force outward) and 'a laugh' yields the idea of forcing a laugh out with difficulty. However, 'choke out' is a somewhat idiomatic phrasal verb meaning to produce something with effort, so the exact nuance ('manage to laugh with difficulty') may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Choke out a laugh gives the image of someone who seems to choke because their throat feels tight and then pushes a laugh out in a small, weak sound. That's why it means 'to laugh with difficulty'.