choke back
phrasal verb
choked back; choking back; chokes back
: to have difficulty not showing or expressing (tears, rage, anger, etc.)
He was choking back tears as he talked about his late wife.
She struggled to choke back her anger as she listened to their criticisms.
Cite this Entry
“Choke back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20back. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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