choke back

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to suppress (anger, tears, etc)

Idioms and Phrases

Suppress, as in He choked back his tears. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Gas producers choked back output and slashed their drilling plans last year in response to low prices, but they have become so efficient that overall production levels barely budged from their record-setting course.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.

Read more on BBC

"Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life," he continued, choking back tears.

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“There are so many people that have come up to me and said, ‘I’m a writer because of you,’ ” he said, choking back tears.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As congregants shared what they lost after a recent service, they choked back tears and pledged to persevere.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• confine 
• constrain 
• control 
• curb 
• curtail 
• detain 
• deter 
• govern 
• hamper 
• hinder 
• inhibit 
• keep down 
• kill 
• limit 
• prevent 
• repress 
• restrict 
• subdue 
• suppress