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 the hardscrabble Molina began to let his emotions show, even appearing to choke back tears while describing the past 19 years.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 9, 2022
Matthew Frank, an assistant attorney general for Minnesota, appeared to choke back tears as he thanked George Floyd’s family.
From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2021
Peden tells her mother’s story in a breathless rush, stopping only to choke back tears.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2018
He almost said, “Josie told me about them,” but managed to choke back that secret at the last minute.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
