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

But the heart of the piece was a guy stoked to eat two sandwiches. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026

On a heavier level, Netflix’s bet on 1989 British trilogy House of Cards stoked its re-invention as a creative force. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026

The latest incident to stoke further outrage in the city is the involvement of a 5-year-old boy in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026

Dent delivered the offensive spark Cronin tried to stoke. —Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 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