choke up
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
McGonigle looked down at his parents, Tracy and Kevin George, as he got choked up. —
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026 Largely produced by Chris Marek, these songs refuse to trade on novelty—enormous 808s and chugging power chords don’t just cohabitate, but work in tandem to churn moshpits and choke up emotions alike. —Vivian Medithi, Pitchfork, 15 Apr. 2026 Crystal appeared to get choked up at the top of the interview, when Colbert asked about the ensemble tribute to Reiner during the Oscars last month. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Wiseman was visibly choked up, and the four crewmembers stood to hug on stage. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for choke up
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.
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026 Largely produced by Chris Marek, these songs refuse to trade on novelty—enormous 808s and chugging power chords don’t just cohabitate, but work in tandem to churn moshpits and choke up emotions alike. —Vivian Medithi, Pitchfork, 15 Apr. 2026 Crystal appeared to get choked up at the top of the interview, when Colbert asked about the ensemble tribute to Reiner during the Oscars last month. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Wiseman was visibly choked up, and the four crewmembers stood to hug on stage. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for choke up
Cite this Entry
“Choke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/choke%20up. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
