choke out
To barely manage to say something when you're crying or so upset you can hardly speak, or to stop someone from breathing by squeezing their throat.
Meanings
To say something with great difficulty because of strong emotion, usually while crying or overwhelmed.
""I'm so sorry," she choked out between sobs, unable to meet his eyes."
To render someone unconscious or incapacitate them by restricting blood flow to the brain or blocking the airway.
"The wrestler choked out his opponent in the final round of the match."
The emotional/verbal sense ('choke out a few words') is common in narrative writing. The combat/self-defense sense (a chokehold rendering someone unconscious) is used in martial arts and news contexts. Both senses are B2 for ESL learners.
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Forms
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Synonyms
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