choke back
Britishverb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Often appearing to choke back tears, he told his counsel Tony Graham KC he remembered nothing of the accident nor the journey leading up to it.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
But his impact throughout life was profound to those who knew him well, and they invariably choke back tears when talking about him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2022
“It is my honor to accept,” he said on Dec. 2 at the University of New Hampshire, his voice trembling as he tried to choke back tears.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 11, 2020
Sanders appeared to choke back tears when she seemed to understand the magnitude of a 13-year-old kid being scared to go to school.
From Slate ● May 30, 2018
I glance at the clock as I choke back a sob of relief, happiness, and gratitude that despite the odds stacked against me I’d still managed to pull it off.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
