choke up
To feel so emotional — happy, sad, or touched — that your throat gets tight and you can hardly talk without crying.
Meanings
To become so emotional that the throat tightens and speech becomes difficult.
"He choked up during his wedding vows and had to pause to compose himself."
"I always choke up when I hear that song."
To cause someone else to become emotional and struggle to speak.
"That video of the soldier returning home chokes me up every time I watch it."
(Sports) To grip a bat, club, or racket higher up the handle for greater control.
"The coach told her to choke up on the bat to improve her contact with the ball."
Very commonly used in American English. Can be intransitive ('I choked up') or transitive ('that story chokes me up every time'). Also used in baseball/softball: to 'choke up on the bat' means to grip it higher for more control — a completely separate sense.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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