choking off
Stopping the flow
To choke off is to suppress, stop, or cut short something that was flowing or growing.
A government might choke off dissent, high interest rates choke off economic growth, or a defender chokes off a passing lane.
The image is of constricting a channel until nothing gets through: Rising costs choked off demand for new housing.
- stranglingCompressing throat to suffocate
- smotheringDepriving of air
- stiflingOppressively hot and close
- embargoingImposing trade prohibition
- suffocatingDepriving of air
blockage · curtailment · cutting short · shutting down · obstruction · stanching · drying up · restriction · halting · suppression · occlusion · throttling · hampering · quashing · stamping out · impeding · sanctioning · inhibition
choking offopening up
Becoming less guarded
unclogging · unblocking · clearing · freeing up · releasing
choking offsupplying
Providing what's required
providing · feeding · funding · furnishing · fueling
choking offfostering
Promoting development or growth
nurturing · encouraging · cultivating · promoting · stimulating