choke back


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Related to choke back: choke off

choke

 (chōk)
v. choked, chok·ing, chokes
v.tr.
1. To interfere with the respiration of by compression or obstruction of the larynx or trachea.
2.
a. To check or slow down the movement, growth, or action of: a garden that was choked by weeds.
b. To block up or obstruct by filling or clogging: Mud choked the drainpipe.
c. To fill up completely; jam: Major commuter arteries were choked with stalled traffic.
3. To reduce the air intake of (a carburetor), thereby enriching the fuel mixture.
4. Sports To grip (a bat or racket, for example) at a point nearer the hitting surface.
v.intr.
1. To have difficulty in breathing, swallowing, or speaking.
2. To become blocked up or obstructed.
3. Sports To shorten one's grip on the handle of a bat or racket. Often used with up.
4. To fail to perform effectively because of nervous agitation or tension, especially in an athletic contest: choked by missing an easy putt on the final hole.
n.
1. The act or sound of choking.
2.
a. Something that constricts or chokes.
b. A slight narrowing of the barrel of a shotgun serving to concentrate the shot.
3. A device used in an internal-combustion engine to enrich the fuel mixture by reducing the flow of air to the carburetor.
4. The fibrous inedible center of an artichoke head.
Phrasal Verbs:
choke back
To hold back; suppress: choked back his tears.
choke off
To bring to an end as if by choking: "Treasury borrowing of existing savings would drive up the interest rate and choke off economic activity" (Paul Craig Roberts).
choke up
To be unable to speak because of strong emotion.

[Middle English choken, short for achoken, from Old English āceōcian : ā-, intensive pref. + cēoce, cēace, jaw, cheek.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

choke back

or

choke down

vb
(tr, adverb) to suppress (anger, tears, etc)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.choke back - suppress; "He choked down his rage"
conquer, inhibit, stamp down, suppress, subdue, curb - to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's desires"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

w>choke back

vt sep feelings, tears, replyunterdrücken
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in periodicals archive ?
"He should be here, not sunning himself as we choke back tears BHS SUPERVISOR AS STORE SHUT YESTERDAY
always gets it to choke back her article about ECHO.
Understanding longer term stabilised rates is an important part of the objectives of this program, with best operating practice to choke back wells in the initial stages to improve long-term productivity.