choke back
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To hold back or suppress (an emotion, expression of emotion, or utterance), with difficulty.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
nắm giữ hoặc kìm nén (cảm xúc, biểu hiện cảm xúc, hoặc phát ngôn) với khó khăn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
When she slapped me, I tried hard to choke back my tears.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “choke back” mean?
To hold back or suppress (an emotion, expression of emotion, or utterance), with difficulty.
Is “choke back” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.