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verb ADV. aloud | loudly | quietly, silently | hysterically, uncontrollably, wildly | almost He was pleading, almost sobbing, first silently and then aloud. VERB + SOB begin to, start to He began to sob uncontrollably. | hear sb I heard a child sobbing loudly. PREP. with She was sobbing with pain and fear. PHRASES sob your heart out, noun ADJ. big, deep, great | little | loud | choked, hoarse, stifled, strangled | choking, gasping, gulping, racking, shuddering | occasional | dry VERB + SOB give, let out | be racked by/with, shake with He was too racked by sobs to reply. | choke back, stifle Choking back a sob, she ran to her father's chair. | hear SOB + VERB break from sb/sth, burst from sb/sth, escape sb/sth A sob escaped her lips. | rise A choked sob rose in his throat. | catch A dry sob caught in her throat. | rack sth, shake sth Deep racking sobs shook his whole body. | subside SOB + NOUN story You can't expect me to believe this sob story! PREP. between ~s ‘I don't want to go!’ she got out between sobs. | through ~s He continued his story through stifled sobs. | with a ~ ‘Why didn't you tell me?’ she said with a sob. | ~ from a sob from George | ~ of a great sob of despair PHRASES a sob of despair/pain/reliefSOUND
Oxford Collocations Dictionary