stoke

verb

stoked; stoking
Synonyms of stokenext

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This was the catalyst to stoke the ire of the city’s food community and restaurant workers, who many say are still suffering and haven’t recovered since last summer’s ICE immigration raids there. Shindy Chen march 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026 But there has to be something over-the-top in the text — or on the screen — to stoke the explosive nature of that drive. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026 The reshuffling once again stoked fears that China could beat the United States to the Moon, a subject of heated debate among lawmakers. Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026 Trans people hadn’t yet accumulated enough basic rights or cultural saturation to stoke different, grander anxieties for Cooper to opine on. Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stoke

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoke was in 1683

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoke. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stoke

verb
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
: 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

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