stoke

verb

ˈstōk 

stoked; stoking

transitive verb

1

: to poke or stir up (a fire, flames, etc.) : supply with fuel

2

: to feed abundantly

3

: to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of

… limiting the number of cars available … will help stoke demand for the car.

—Keith Naughton

intransitive verb

: to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel

Synonyms of stoke

• increase
• accelerate
• expand
• boost
• augment
• raise

Examples of stoke in a Sentence

The engineer stoked the coals.

The new ad campaign has helped to stoke sales.

Poor revenue figures have stoked concerns about possible layoffs.

Recent Examples on the Web

And with the Iran war, surging oil prices are stoking inflation fears. —Rachel Barber, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026

As Utah emerged as the epicenter of an internal GOP conflict over AI regulation, two groups with considerable links to progressive politics were quietly stoking the flames. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026

Democrats have too often done the opposite — stoking hostility, normalizing dysfunction and creating a less stable, less safe environment for families and working people. —Larry Clifton, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026

Now, this Hyde Park fire is stoking an anger that has lived inside Kathy Crosby-Bell for over a decade. —Louisa Moller, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for stoke

• bloke
• boeck
• broke
• choke
• cloak
• cloke
• croak
• folk
• hoke
• joke
• moke
• oak

Kids Definition

stoke

verb

ˈstōk 

stoked; stoking

1

: to stir up or tend (as a fire)

2

: to supply (as a furnace) with fuel

3

: to feed plentifully

stoker noun

Medical Definition

stoke

noun

ˈstōk 

: the cgs unit of kinematic viscosity being that of a fluid which has a viscosity of one poise and a density of one gram per cubic centimeter