choke up
phrasal verb
choked up; choking up; chokes up
1
: to have trouble talking because of crying or strong emotion
He chokes up whenever he tries to talk about the accident.
2
baseball
: to move one's hands to a higher position on a baseball bat
—often + on
He choked up on the bat and took a short swing.
Examples of choke up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Karen Read trial first day: John O'Keefe's mom chokes up recalling day he was killed
Witness testimony under scrutiny
Timothy Nuttall, a firefighter and paramedic who was at the scene the night of O’Keefe’s death, described arriving on the scene to find O'Keefe cold and showing no sign of life.
—
Michael Loria, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
That emotional moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show really got Jack Black choked up.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The actor got choked up, nearly crying, within the first two minutes of a cast panel on Sunday night following the episode.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
The emotions were unavoidable on Saturday for Ian Happ, who got a standing ovation for his 1,000th game as a Cub, as well as Matthew Boyd, who got choked up after winning his first start at Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform, thinking of his late grandfather, a Cubs fan who grew up in Chicago.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choke up
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Michael Loria, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
That emotional moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show really got Jack Black choked up.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The actor got choked up, nearly crying, within the first two minutes of a cast panel on Sunday night following the episode.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
The emotions were unavoidable on Saturday for Ian Happ, who got a standing ovation for his 1,000th game as a Cub, as well as Matthew Boyd, who got choked up after winning his first start at Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform, thinking of his late grandfather, a Cubs fan who grew up in Chicago.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for choke up
Cite this Entry
“Choke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20up. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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