Phrasal verb
choke out
Definition
phrasal verb. to say something with great difficulty because you are feeling very emotional or cannot breathe properly.
phrasal verb. to utter words with difficulty, typically due to physical constriction of the throat or intense emotional distress such as sobbing.
Examples
“He managed to choke out a quick goodbye.”
“Through her tears, she could only choke out a few words of thanks to the rescue team.”
“The witness, visibly shaken by the cross-examination, struggled to choke out the remainder of his testimony before the judge called for a recess.”
Examples
simple
“He managed to choke out a quick goodbye.”
contextual
“Through her tears, she could only choke out a few words of thanks to the rescue team.”
complex
“The witness, visibly shaken by the cross-examination, struggled to choke out the remainder of his testimony before the judge called for a recess.”
Usage
usually takes a speech-related object like 'words', 'a name', or 'an apology'.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'blurt out' (sudden and impulsive) to show that 'choke out' emphasizes the physical or emotional struggle of the delivery.
Pitfall
He choked out to his mother.
He choked out a message to his mother.
this phrasal verb requires a direct object representing the words spoken.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
choke + out + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/choke-out