as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
all it took was one hard stroke to knock the ball out of the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
the young mother gently stroked the sleeping child's brow and then leaned over and kissed him
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to massage
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stroke
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Beat the eggs vigorously with the dinner fork for about 30 seconds and about 40 strokes.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Gateway trailed 36-26 at that point, and a Marino 3-pointer right after the foul seemed to stroke some momentum.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Noun
Cardioembolism is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood clot forms in the heart and travels to the brain, according to medical experts.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Beat the eggs vigorously with the dinner fork for about 30 seconds and about 40 strokes.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
At the end of the table, Faris, an Iranian refugee who had ended up on drugs, stroked a glass of tea.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Gateway trailed 36-26 at that point, and a Marino 3-pointer right after the foul seemed to stroke some momentum.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
-
The development marks a blow to Washington’s support for Orban’s reelection and comes after Magyar’s Tisza party was viewed as the favorite to win in the April 12 election, holding a 10-point lead over the ruling Fidesz party, according to Politico’s polling analysis.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Freiburg and Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi received a blow to his knee late in the game and needed support to walk off the field afterward.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Their voices caress each other as much as their wandering fingers do as two of country music’s best collaborators each add another blockbuster duet to their repertoire.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lightly massaging the area of application may further help relax muscles and stimulate circulation.—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Multi-setting showerheads, like most of those made today, have a wide array of choices to select from, ranging from powerful, massaging force to gentle rain and rinsing or even misting.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Denver Post gave Friednash, a corporate Democratic centrist mouthpiece, the opportunity to take swipes at Melat Kiros, who garnered nearly two-thirds of the caucus vote for the 1st Congressional District race.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Xi’s outreach to Cheng came along with overt swipes at Taiwan’s current government under President Lai Ching-te, who is shunned by Beijing as a dangerous ‘separatist’ for rejecting China’s claim that Taiwan is its territory.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wembanyama tumbled to the court and remained down for a minute while George patted him on the backside apologetically.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Will foundations stop patting themselves on the back for diversity pledges and start funding the Black innovation ecosystem at scale?—
Felecia Hatcher,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hilton asked the same cigar-puffing audience Friday moments after Bianco spoke.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Some people still try to breathe through their mouth during sleep, a phenomenon called 'mouth puffing.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moments later, a bass thump sounded in the distance.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Isaacman closed by congratulating the crew and the entire NASA team, along with the agency's international and commercial partners.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated the police late Saturday for the arrest.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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