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
Brody choked up comparing his character, a Holocaust survivor who comes to America hoping for a better life, with the journey that his mother, a Hungarian immigrant, undertook.
—
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Jan. 2025
The gymnast choked up and teared up when she was asked about the topic.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 1 Jan. 2025
During the Dodgers’ championship rally, he got choked up with emotion while addressing the crowd.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Throughout the special, Foxx repeatedly gets choked up thinking about the impact his hospitalization had on his family and friends.
—Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for choke up 
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Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Jan. 2025
The gymnast choked up and teared up when she was asked about the topic.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 1 Jan. 2025
During the Dodgers’ championship rally, he got choked up with emotion while addressing the crowd.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Throughout the special, Foxx repeatedly gets choked up thinking about the impact his hospitalization had on his family and friends.
—Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 10 Dec. 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 10 Jan. 2025.
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