1
as in strangling
to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe
let go of my throat—you're choking me!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vomiting
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe
the recommended procedure for helping someone who is choking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in drowning
to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air
thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in blocking
to prevent passage through by filling with something
overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of choking
The Tokyo Fire Department’s latest data, updated early December, shows that from 2020 through 2024, a total of 338 people were rushed to hospitals in Tokyo after choking on mochi or similar foods, and more than 90% of those patients were age 65 or older.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Again, this gives us a little anxiety about choking hazards, so please be careful!
—Fiona Ward, Glamour, 31 Dec. 2025
Their son, Louis III, died in 2013 after a choking accident in a restaurant.
—Patrick Oster, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
He was inspired to learn after watching a teacher use the method to help another student who was choking.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choking
Verb
-
Later that month, another jury said Rafael Andres should be sent back to Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker cord in 2005.—
-
This month, 11 alleged TdA members were indicted in New Mexico, accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating and strangling to death a man in Albuquerque and burying his body in a remote desert grave, The Center Square reported.—
Verb
-
In clinical trials, Nereus helped up to 90 percent of people prone to motion sickness avoid vomiting while riding on a boat.—
-
The predominant symptoms experienced by the ill passengers and crew members were vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.—
Verb
-
Of course, the Weeknd has long romanticized his own self-destruction, but here, as the water fills his lungs, death finally loses its glamour—there’s nothing romantic about a man incapable of or unwilling to save himself from drowning.—
-
Now Lachlan was drowning alone.—
Verb
-
In the 47-second video, the agent can be seen walking around Good’s maroon Honda Pilot, which is in the middle of the street blocking traffic.—
-
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension accuses the FBI of blocking it from accessing evidence in the investigation.—
Verb
-
With few nearby cities and little on-property lighting, there's not a lot of light pollution obstructing your view of the stars from this International Dark Sky Park.—
-
The video begins with Ross in front of the vehicle driven by Good, who had stopped her burgundy SUV perpendicular to the street, obstructing the flow of traffic.—
Verb
-
These would have involved aircraft for jamming operations, some surveillance, fighter jets to strike targets, and some to provide an escort for the helicopters bringing in a special forces unit and members of the FBI.—
-
Is Mine Tour presented by Black Promoters Collective will also be jamming.—
Verb
-
Several hundred people turned out over the course of the afternoon, filling the main parking area and forcing others to park in an adjacent hospital clinic lot and a nearby strip mall as a steady stream of visitors continued to arrive.—
-
More than 100 people gathered outside the Home Depot on Grasmere Avenue in Fairfield late Saturday morning, filling the sidewalk with handmade signs, chants and the steady sound of car horns from drivers slowing down to show support.—
Cite this Entry
“Choking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choking. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
