choke up
phrasal verb
choked up; choking up; chokes up
1
: to have trouble talking because of crying or strong emotion
He chokes up whenever he tries to talk about the accident.
2
baseball
: to move one's hands to a higher position on a baseball bat
—often + on
He choked up on the bat and took a short swing.
Examples of choke up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The original video is from 2018 and clearly shows Maddow getting choked up while discussing a report about children being separated from their parents at the southern border.
—
Andre Byik, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
When Bass stood in front of the team, he got choked up.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
The gymnast noticeably choked up and teared up when she was asked about the topic.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2024
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández was the most emotional speaker, getting choked up at the end of his first season with the team.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for choke up 
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Andre Byik, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
When Bass stood in front of the team, he got choked up.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
The gymnast noticeably choked up and teared up when she was asked about the topic.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2024
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández was the most emotional speaker, getting choked up at the end of his first season with the team.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for choke up
Dictionary Entries Near choke up
Cite this Entry
“Choke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20up. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
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