chokehold

See also: choke hold

English

U.S. soldiers demonstrating a chokehold.

Alternative forms

• choke hold, choke-hold

Etymology

From choke +‎ hold.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃoʊkˌhoʊld/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

chokehold (plural chokeholds)

1. (martial arts, wrestling) A grappling hold around the neck that cuts off the flow of air to the brain.

   He put his opponent in a chokehold.

2. (by extension) A strong and powerful grasp on something

   Your country has a chokehold on our economy.

   • 2021 September 15, Laura Martin, “How talent shows became TV's most bizarre programmes”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     With the music industry releasing their chokehold on these television talent shows, it too is looking to other sources like social media – 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]:

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

Related terms

• neckhold
• sleeper hold
• stranglehold

Translations

grappling hold around the neck

• Danish: kvælertag n
• Faroese: kvørkratak n
• Finnish: kuristusote, kurkkuote
• French: clé de tête f
• German: Würgegriff m
• Portuguese: mata-leão m
• Spanish: mataleón m, llave mataleón f, llave de cuello f
• Swedish: strypgrepp (sv) n

strong and powerful grasp on something

• Faroese: kvørkratak n
• Finnish: kuristusote
• German: Würgegriff m

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To put in a chokehold.