chokehold

The noun is derived from choke (verb) +‎ hold (noun).^[1] The verb is derived from the noun.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃoʊkˌ(h)oʊld/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: choke‧hold

chokehold (plural chokeholds)

2. (martial arts, wrestling) A grappling hold around a person's neck, especially one in which the neck is grasped tightly from behind with an arm, cutting off the flow of blood to the brain and restricting breathing.

   Synonym: neckhold

   Hyponym: sleeper hold

   Coordinate terms: headlock, stranglehold, throttlehold

   He put his opponent in a chokehold.

   • 2001, Lisa A. Kloppenberg, “The Court Uses Standing to Discourage Redress for Racial Wrongs”, in Playing it Safe: How the Supreme Court Sidesteps Hard Cases and Stunts the Development of Law (Critical America), New York, N.Y.; London: New York University Press, →ISBN, page 67:

     Within five to ten seconds, one officer began to apply a choke hold by pressing his forearm into [Adolph] Lyons' throat. As Lyons was struggling for air, the officer handcuffed him and continued to apply the choke hold until Lyons blacked out. He was almost choked to death. […] Between 1975 and 1982, sixteen people died from the LAPD [Los Angeles Police Department]'s use of choke holds.

   • 2012, Scott McNeely, “Combat Sports”, in Ultimate Book of Sports: The Essential Collection of Rules, Stats, and Trivia for over 250 Sports, San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, →ISBN Invalid ISBN, page 118:

     In competition, judo matches typically have a standing phase (opponents attempt to throw each other) and a ground phase (once an opponent is on the ground, then both opponents can use a hold down, literally holding an opponent down for 15 to 25 seconds, or using a choke hold or similar controlling technique to force an opponent to submit).

3. (figurative) A powerful and restrictive control or influence over something.

   Synonyms: stranglehold, throttlehold

   One country has a chokehold on another country's economy.

   • 2021 September 15, Laura Martin, “How Talent Shows Became TV’s Most Bizarre Programmes”, in BBC Online‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 April 2023:

     With the music industry releasing their chokehold on these television talent shows, it too is looking to other sources like social media – [Rob] Wade calls TikTok "one giant talent show" – to find new talent rather than primetime TV.

   • 2024 October 8, Megan Uy, Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien, “65+ Fall Prime Day Fashion Deals Your Closet Is Begging You to Shop”, in Cosmopolitan‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: Hearst Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 8 October 2024:

     Fellow fashionistas know the hype of GAP athleisure wear. The nostalgic look mixed with its soft design have the girlies in a chokehold!

• choke-hold, choke hold

chokehold (third-person singular simple present chokeholds, present participle chokeholding, simple past and past participle chokeheld)

1. (transitive) To put a hold around the neck of (someone), especially one in which the neck is grasped tightly from behind with an arm.

• chokehold on Wikipedia.Wikipedia