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.
The new king appeared to choke back tears as he noted that Saturday would have been their 58th wedding anniversary.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
“I did use my own product, and I used it too much,” Stella said, at one point pausing to choke back tears.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 22, 2021
“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
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
But then he heard Maria choke back a sob.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
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.
