choke off

Idioms  

1. Put a stop to, throttle, as in Higher interest rates are choking off the real estate boom . [Early 1800s]

2. Stop someone from speaking or complaining, as in Throughout the debate the congressman had to be choked off to give the other candidate a chance to speak . [ Slang ; late 1800s]

---

Example Sentences

That’s where she’s been on the mend since early March, when she arrived with a hook lodged in her throat and a flipper that was mostly dead from fishing line that had choked off circulation.

From Los Angeles Times

China has also started choking off supplies of rare earths and magnets with high-tech applications to Japanese companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the latest example, China has begun choking off exports of rare earths and rare-earth magnets to Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal

But media reports say that China has begun choking off exports of rare earths, as well as holding up sake and food imports into China.

From Barron's

China has begun choking off exports of rare earths and rare-earth magnets to Japan, a potential blow to Japanese companies that use them to produce components for global chip makers, car companies and defense firms.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• arrest
• avoid
• bar
• block
• break
• check
• close
• disrupt
• intercept
• interrupt
• stall
• stay
• stem
• suspend