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
Bradley raised both arms to the sky and had to choke back tears after clinching the victory with a tap-in on 18.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2022
“I went to bed ... not knowing my life would change,” Veilleux read, halting for a moment to choke back sobs.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2020
He kept his speech short and sweet — 12 seconds shy of his four-minute limit, including a couple of pauses to choke back tears.
From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2019
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.
