choke up phrasal verb (see also choke)

1. choke something ↔ up to fill a place so that things cannot move through it
be choked up with something
The stream was choked up with weeds.

2. choke somebody up to make someone feel very upset and unable to talk:
This song really chokes me up.
I was really choked up when I saw her again.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

choke up
choke (you) up
to have difficulty speaking because you feel great emotion.
During his farewell talk the coach got all choked up and started to cry.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

choke up
to make someone cry or become overemotional and speechless
I became choked up when I heard the story of the boy's illness.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

choke up
v.
1a. To come near losing calmness or self-control from strong feeling; be upset by your feelings.
When one speaker after another praised John, he choked up and couldn't thank them.
When Father tried to tell me how glad he was to see me safe after the accident, he choked up and was unable to speak.
1b. informal To be unable to do well because of excitement or nervousness.
Bill was a good batter, but in the championship game he choked up and did poorly.
2. To fill up; become clogged or blocked; become hard to pass through.
The channel had choked up with sand so that boats couldn't use it.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲