choke
verb
\ ˈchōk
\
\
choked;
choking
Definition of choke
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to check or block normal breathing of by compressing or obstructing the trachea or by poisoning or adulterating available air
The unwary guard was choked to death by a prisoner.
2a
: to check or hinder the growth, development, or activity of
The flowers were choked by the weeds.
b
: to obstruct by filling up or clogging
Leaves choked the drain.
c
: to fill completely : jam
roads choked with traffic
3
: to enrich the fuel mixture of (a motor) by partially shutting off the air intake of the carburetor
4
: to grip (something, such as a baseball bat) some distance from the end of the handle
—usually used with up The batter choked up the bat and cut down his swing.
1
: to become choked in breathing
He choked on a bone.
2a
: to become obstructed or checked
b
: to become or feel constricted (see constrict sense 1) in the throat (as from strong emotion)
—usually used with up choked up and couldn't finish the speech
3
: to shorten one's grip especially on the handle of a bat
—usually used with up
4
: to lose one's composure and fail to perform effectively in a critical situation
had a chance to win the game but he choked
choke
nounDefinition of choke (Entry 2 of 2)
1
[ by folk etymology from artichoke ]
: the filamentous inedible center of an artichoke flower head
broadly
: an artichoke flower head
2
: something that obstructs passage or flow: such as
a
: a valve for choking (see choke entry 1 sense 3) a gasoline engine
b
: a constriction in an outlet (as of an oil well) that restricts flow
c
: reactor sense 2
d
: a constriction (such as a narrowing of the barrel or an attachment) at the muzzle (see muzzle entry 1 sense 3) of a shotgun that serves to limit the spread of shot
3
: the act of choking
A few chokes dislodged the food in her throat.
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Synonyms for choke
Synonyms: Verb
garrote (or garotte), strangle, suffocate, throttle
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Examples of choke in a Sentence
Verb
Chew your food well so you don't choke. We were choking on fumes. The thick smoke was choking me. The flowers were choked by the weeds.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
No cause of death has been released, but preliminary indications are Hutchings died of choking, the Bee reports. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com, "Man dies after participating in taco eating contest at minor-league baseball game in California," 15 Aug. 2019 In another case, a judge ordered weapons removed from a former Navy SEAL with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder who was accused in April 2018 of choking his pregnant girlfriend, the paper reports. — Erin Donaghue, CBS News, "Florida's "red flag" law, passed after Parkland shooting, is thwarting "bad acts," sheriff says," 9 Aug. 2019 Rogers had been accused of choking his wife on Oct. 11 and again — while brandishing a knife — on Jan. 14, court records show. — Dallas News, "Arlington man showed friend his wife's body in freezer before killing himself, police say," 30 July 2019 Huggins was accused of choking a female tutor in October on the UF campus, according to records released by the school Tuesday, but Mullen said the player had already served a previously undisclosed suspension and the issue had been addressed. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "UF DB John Huggins dismissed from Gators football program," 21 June 2019 Stovall is accused of choking a former girlfriend, a felony. — Brian Chasnoff, ExpressNews.com, "Judge denies DA’s move to boot LaHood from case," 20 June 2019 The Broward School Board fired a teacher was accused of choking a student and another teacher accused of making racially insensitive comments. — Scott Travis, sun-sentinel.com, "School district fires two teachers for alleged choking, racial comments," 12 June 2019 Security cameras captured the entire ordeal, which began when the man, in a white baseball cap, rises from his seat after choking on his meal. — Michael Bartiromo, Fox News, "Chick-fil-A worker saves choking customer with Heimlich maneuver: 'He's a hero'," 27 June 2018 That afternoon, Ayala called police to report that the child had choked while drinking the bottle of milk his mother had left for him. — Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, "DA drops death penalty pursuit in San Jose baby murder case," 29 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Before that, one of the UFC’s most outspoken stars stopped the Irishman in a stunning, come-from-behind submission choke. — Manouk Akopyan, Los Angeles Times, "Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic highlights UFC 241 from Anaheim," 16 Aug. 2019 Hill grabs a triangle choke but doesn’t have enough time to finish it. — Todd Martin, latimes.com, "UFC 238 live updates: Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes," 8 June 2019 Duba has added a choke tab and a kill switch to the dash of the truck. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Can a Lawnmower Engine Start a Dodge Ram? Sure, Why Not," 14 May 2019 Using a thin metal tablespoon, scrape out the choke from the heart. — SFChronicle.com, "A world tour of pickles in the Bay Area and how to make them," 26 July 2019 This was supposed to be when France finally cast off all those years of shackles of chokes in big games. — Jonathan Tannenwald, Pro Soccer USA, "France laments painful World Cup loss to U.S. on its home soil," 29 June 2019 Here are the engineers, choke setters, hook tenders, fallers, even the lowly, but essential, whistle punks who signal for men to get out of range of the enormous, thrashing logs, great destroyers with diameters greater than a man’s height. — Katherine A. Powers, WSJ, "‘Deep River’ Review: In the Heart of the Forest Primeval," 28 June 2019 Thwaites is the choke-point, holding much of the ice sheet in place. — Elizabeth Rush, National Geographic, "These women are changing the landscape of Antarctic research," 7 Mar. 2019 The color guard in a parade makes tears roll down my cheeks and of course, videos of servicemen and women coming home and surprising their children is a big-choke-up. — Leslie Anne Tarabella, al.com, "Defend yourself with a proper hankie," 4 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'choke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for choke
choke
verb
English Language Learners Definition of choke
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to become unable to breathe usually because something gets stuck in your throat or because the air is not good for breathing
: to cause (someone) to stop breathing by squeezing the throat
: to make (someone) unable to breathe in a normal way