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

Getty Images Since the public launch of ChatGPT in 2022, generative AI has increasingly threatened academic integrity, further stoking fears of a literacy crisis and deepening concerns about the authenticity of students’ work. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Yet no one hauled him before Congress to answer for stoking racial tensions, snubbing George Washington, or making America sad on her birthday. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2026

That has been stoked in part by the media, with publications such as Texas Monthly reviewing and ranking barbecue places, creating a frenzy around the best ones. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026

Weekend live music and cozy firepits stoke the communal atmosphere. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 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