choking back
Swallowing rising feelings
Choking back means suppressing or restraining something that wants to come out—usually tears, sobs, or strong emotion: She choked back tears as she read the letter.
The image is of something rising in the throat that must be forced down.
Less commonly applied to words or laughter: He choked back a retort.
- tearTo pull apart
- welling upGradually rising from within
- gulpHasty, large swallow
- containingHolding within limits
- lumpShapeless solid mass
lump in throat · stifling · repressing · knot · gagging · swallowing · throat · quelling · clenching · muting · sob · subduing · enduring · dampening · inhibiting · bottling up · restricting · tightening
- emotional maskingmasking, suppression, repression, hiding, bottling up
- suppressionrepression, inhibition, restraint, silencing, muzzling
choking backletting out
Allowing to escape
releasing · expressing · venting · unleashing · pouring out
choking backbursting out
Emerging suddenly, forcefully
sobbing · crying out · wailing · screaming · erupting
choking backblurting out
Impulsive verbal release
letting slip · spitting out · exclaiming · shouting · crying out
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