stoke

verb

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

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.
And the company’s rich valuation has stoked skepticism among some investors worried about an AI bubble. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025 Despite the occasional mutual love, progressives have argued that Sliwa has previously stoked racist fears and encouraged vigilante aggression. Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 In a city heavily influenced by Buddhism and Taoism, living in apartments associated with ghastly deaths often stokes fear of bad fortune. Chris Lau, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 With this current season, however, Julia has switched sides, cozying up to Alexia and Marysol, stoking Alexia’s mounting tensions with Stephanie, and transforming into an antagonist against her former friends Guerdy and Adriana. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025 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 10 Nov. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on stoke

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