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
Relevance
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
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
This is about preventing a stroke.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Noun
The agonizing disease disproportionately impacts black and brown people, many of whom don’t live past their 50s and struggle with heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, and joint problems.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
This is about preventing a stroke.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
While fans and pundits stroke their chins and ponder Arsenal’s attacking alchemy, their defensive record is perhaps taken for granted.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
-
The first accounts of cheating and payoffs during exam week surfaced—a blow to the belief in fairness on which the whole system of guilds depended.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Google had hoped to void those changes with an appeal, but the ruling issued in July by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a legal blow for the tech giant, which has been waylaid in three separate antitrust trials affecting different pillars of its internet empire.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Discard after use, massaging in the remaining serum.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Wipe in circular motions with a lint-free microfiber cloth to loosen grime, then finish with long, horizontal swipes.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
-
Credit card swipes, corporate calendar items, and photos snapped on a phone of receipts can all go straight into AI analysis.—
Eric Rosenbaum,
CNBC,
30 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
-
That’s cute, today’s masters of the universe will chuckle while patting your head.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The windshield repels the huddled form and the thump on the pavement sounds like a rebuke.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The president even congratulated him following the June 3 opening of his restaurant The Detroit Cowboy in Nashville.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Sharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride of Rotorua were finishing their wedding paperwork when actor Elijah Wood walked down the aisle to congratulate them.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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