CHOKE (BACK) Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

choke (back)

verb

Definition of choke (back)

as in to stifle

to refrain from openly showing or uttering choked back a sarcastic reply to an insulting question

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for choke (back)

Verb

Fresh off a walk-off loss the day before, Dave Roberts was asked about his team’s recent play and couldn’t stifle a yawn.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
On Monday, facing the stifling defense of the second-place Golden State Valkyries, Miles shot three of twelve from the field and gave up four turnovers.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of stifle

Verb

This isn’t a matter of suppressing your emotions, which research has proven doesn't work.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
In one of the findings, bat houses — artificial roosts in urban environments, similar to nest boxes for birds — were doing their job helping to suppress pests on pecan farms in Texas.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

Popular media and Southern folklore frequently claimed that kudzu was swallowing 150,000 new acres every year and had overtaken anywhere from 7 to 9 million acres across the region.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
If your dog swallows these fibers, it can get caught up in the digestive tract like hair in plumbing and create a blockage.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of swallow

Verb

He was scheduled to throw over the weekend with El Paso but was held back after tweaking his back while working between starts.

— Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Ryan didn't hold back in Freedom's Instagram comments after the ejection, calling out the WNBA for failing to stand up for female athletes as the league's position on the trans issue keeps falling apart.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of hold back

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choke

choke (back)

choked

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“Choke (back).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choke%20%28back%29. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of choke (back)

verb

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