choke back
phrasal verb
choked back; choking back; chokes back
: to have difficulty not showing or expressing (tears, rage, anger, etc.)
He was choking back tears as he talked about his late wife.
She struggled to choke back her anger as she listened to their criticisms.
Examples of choke back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At that point, Robert appeared to once again choke back tears but pulled himself together.
—
Rachel Desantis, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Even before his name was announced, McClenaghan had to choke back tears.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2024
Leyland, choking back tears throughout his speech, thanked every player who played for him in the majors or the minors.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 21 July 2024
The Best Photos from Cannes 2024, Updated Daily Celebs Overcome with Emotion
The festival started on an emotional note when Juliette Binoche failed to choke back tears while presenting Meryl Streep with the honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony.
—Carita Rizzo, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024
Kelly choked back tears after leaving the courtroom.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2024
The crooner continued to share details about the bar, while the CNN anchor had to move away from the camera, choking back tears from laughter.
—Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Chu became visibly emotional before introducing his leading ladies, choking back tears as Platt touched him on the shoulder.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
Myers choked back tears as his daughters spoke on the public address system.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
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.
Rachel Desantis, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Even before his name was announced, McClenaghan had to choke back tears.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2024
Leyland, choking back tears throughout his speech, thanked every player who played for him in the majors or the minors.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 21 July 2024
The Best Photos from Cannes 2024, Updated Daily Celebs Overcome with Emotion
The festival started on an emotional note when Juliette Binoche failed to choke back tears while presenting Meryl Streep with the honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony.
—Carita Rizzo, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024
Kelly choked back tears after leaving the courtroom.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2024
The crooner continued to share details about the bar, while the CNN anchor had to move away from the camera, choking back tears from laughter.
—Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Chu became visibly emotional before introducing his leading ladies, choking back tears as Platt touched him on the shoulder.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
Myers choked back tears as his daughters spoke on the public address system.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near choke back
Cite this Entry
“Choke back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20back. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share