EN

Synonyms for choke

47 synonyms
2 antonyms
3 meanings

verb

Most common

clog clog up bung up congest strangle suffocate die fret

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Block — to obstruct (a passage, etc.) by filling it up or clogging it

block, clog, stop, stop up, obstruct, foul, block up, close, clog up, jam, bung up, cram, bar, congest, cloy, barricade, blockade, crap up slang

2. Strangle — to prevent (someone) from breathing or talking by strangling or filling the windpipe

strangle, suffocate, throttle, smother, stifle, gag, suppress, asphyxiate, subdue, restrain, repress, burke slang UK AU NZ

3. Die

die, kick the bucket informal, pass, pop off, pass away, go, croak, snuff it informal, exit, buy the farm informal US, perish, expire, decease, conk out informal

Other

stick, fret, scrag informal dated

Antonyms

All antonyms of choke →

Definitions

v. 1
To prevent (someone) from breathing or talking by strangling or filling the windpipe.
The collar of this shirt is too tight; it’s choking me.
v. 2
To obstruct (a passage, etc.) by filling it up or clogging it.
to choke a cave passage with boulders and mud
v. 3
To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air that cause the throat to constrict).
Ever since he choked on a bone, he has refused to eat fish.

Related words

Word family: chokecherry chokedamp choke-full choke-me choker chokey chokecoil
Phrases: choke off choke out choke up bean choke choke back choke damp choke down choke pear

Forms

Past participle: choked
e.g. choked → blocked, clogged, stopped, obstructed…

Example sentences

clog How long this clog has been in the kitchen sink?
strangle Tom couldn't quite bring himself to strangle Mary.
suffocate The US tried to suffocate Cuba's communist economy.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
choke		rising
clog		steady
congest		falling
strangle		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

2 letters: go¹
3 letters: die¹, bar¹, jam¹, gag¹
4 letters: stop¹, pass¹, exit², foul¹, fret¹, cram¹, clog¹, cloy¹
5 letters: close¹, block¹, stick¹, burke¹, croak¹, scrag
6 letters: expire², perish², subdue², stifle²
7 letters: smother², repress², decease², congest²
8 letters: suppress², blockade², throttle², restrain², obstruct², strangle²
9 letters: barricade³, suffocate³
10 letters: asphyxiate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (exit² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: choker