as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
all it took was one hard stroke to knock the ball out of the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
the young mother gently stroked the sleeping child's brow and then leaned over and kissed him
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to massage
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stroke
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
People who caught the flu were up to six times more likely to have a heart attack in the month after the infection, and those who had Covid-19 had nearly twice the risk of developing heart disease or stroke compared with people who hadn’t been infected.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
But Ethan’s out there getting loose and stroking it.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Noun
The fast-growing class of drugs has the potential to treat other conditions, such as sleep apnea, and reduce the risk of stroke.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
People who caught the flu were up to six times more likely to have a heart attack in the month after the infection, and those who had Covid-19 had nearly twice the risk of developing heart disease or stroke compared with people who hadn’t been infected.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
One game, especially one so dominated by the defense, certainly isn’t enough to decide whether this is even an issue, but noted QB whisperer O’Connell has to be stroking his chin.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
But Ethan’s out there getting loose and stroking it.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
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Weddings are expensive, after all, and delaying the big honeymoon trip can help ease the blow by spreading out the cost.—
Jim Augerinos,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Seacrest family has been dealt a devastating blow, Ryan Seacrest revealed on Friday morning.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a video shared by the Broncos from the unveiling, Smith is seen carefully caressed the statue of her son's face just after the curtain drops.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Then Jennifer Tilly’s hand gently caresses Gina Gershon’s face from her cheek down to her chin.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cornerback Darnay Holmes, suffering from a thigh cramp and desperate to return to the game in the final minutes, pulled down his uniform pants — exposing his backside — while a trainer vigorously massaged the area.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Some bridesmaids prayed, others massaged her head, while others burned Palo Santo and turned to natural remedies.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This can be easily done with a light mist of cooking spray, or by using a swipe of oil or coconut oil.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
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Consumers should also try to limit tap-to-pay usage in crowded or high-risk environments and instead use chip or swipe methods.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Taken together, the answers provided a sort of battle-damage assessment of the current moment, the kind undertaken while everyone is still patting themselves to figure out which parts survived the explosion intact.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
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That’s cute, today’s masters of the universe will chuckle while patting your head.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Elevated by a low heel, the shoes provided a frosty sparkling accent to a light pink dress featuring one puffed sheer long sleeve with ornate embellishment at the cuff.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Bake in preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until golden brown and puffed, about 20 minutes.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The result is that the sonic boom becomes a sonic thump of 60 dB to 80 dB, or about that of a car door closing for those on the ground.—
David Szondy
October 28,
New Atlas,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones are all about feeling every thump, and beat.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Markle publicly congratulated the couple and liked Swift’s Instagram announcement of her engagement to Kelce.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
26 Oct. 2025
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Deputy prime minister Simon Harris also congratulated Connolly for her victory which is expected to be formally announced later on Saturday.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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