Synonyms of choke

choke

verb

ˈchōk 

1

as in to strangle

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe

let go of my throat—you're choking me!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• throttle
• suffocate
• garrote
• asphyxiate
• smother
• stifle
• scrag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• revive
• resuscitate

2

as in to vomit

to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe

the recommended procedure for helping someone who is choking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vomit
• suffocate
• gag
• heave
• stifle
• throw up
• retch
• smother
• asphyxiate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• respire

3

as in to suffocate

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air

thick, black smoke choked the trapped firefighters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangle
• suffocate
• smother
• stifle
• drown
• destroy
• throttle
• asphyxiate
• slay
• fell
• garrote
• dispatch
• croak
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathe
• inspire
• expire
• inhale
• exhale
• revive
• resuscitate

4

as in to block

to prevent passage through by filling with something

overgrown bushes choked the narrow alleyway between the buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• block
• obstruct
• jam
• fill
• clog
• occlude
• stop (up)
• congest
• plug (up)
• gum (up)
• dam
• stuff
• flood
• clot
• pack
• overwhelm
• cork
• stopper
• bung
• gridlock
• fur
• stopple
• spile
• silt
• swamp
• inundate
• glut

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open (up)
• free
• clear
• unplug
• hollow (out)
• unblock
• unclog
• excavate
• unstop
• scoop (out)
• empty
• lighten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of choke

The Challenge Getting that information somewhere it could actually be used once meant either a lot of manual keying or OCR that choked the moment a document had a complex layout. — Don Murray, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Wartime attacks on cargo vessels in the Black Sea have choked that supply route. — Hanna Arhirova, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

The toy’s fire hose port can come loose and detach, creating a choking hazard. — Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Loud persistent snoring, sudden gasping or choking for air, waking with a dry mouth and breathing pauses a partner usually notices first. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing choke

• choke (back)