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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stroke
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
This is about preventing a stroke.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
One game, especially one so dominated by the defense, certainly isn’t enough to decide whether this is even an issue, but noted QB whisperer O’Connell has to be stroking his chin.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Noun
The agonizing disease disproportionately impacts black and brown people, many of whom don’t live past their 50s and struggle with heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, and joint problems.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
This is about preventing a stroke.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
While fans and pundits stroke their chins and ponder Arsenal’s attacking alchemy, their defensive record is perhaps taken for granted.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
One game, especially one so dominated by the defense, certainly isn’t enough to decide whether this is even an issue, but noted QB whisperer O’Connell has to be stroking his chin.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
-
In the next game, Bishop delivered a blow to Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins over the middle that temporarily put him out of the game.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Moreno and his colleagues believe there is a small window in which to strike a deal and have proposed a longer period for open enrollment to soften the blow of premium increases.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In one instance, Alix leans in to whisper something in his ear while caressing his back.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Also starring Jack Palance and Fritz Lang, the behind-the-scenes drama about the making of a movie begins with Bardot lying nude on a bed as her husband (Michel Piccoli) caresses and praises her body.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Most dogs love the feeling of the rubber groomer massaging their skin.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
-
That merely meant coach Brian Dutcher didn’t have to delicately parcel out playing time while massaging egos on his Mariana Trench-deep roster, and the bench shortened by circumstance delivered a 77-45 win powered by a pair of true freshmen and a typically frenetic defensive effort.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Wipe in circular motions with a lint-free microfiber cloth to loosen grime, then finish with long, horizontal swipes.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The blue swipe cupping each tip adds the perfect finishing touch.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Taken together, the answers provided a sort of battle-damage assessment of the current moment, the kind undertaken while everyone is still patting themselves to figure out which parts survived the explosion intact.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
-
That’s cute, today’s masters of the universe will chuckle while patting your head.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Joey McGuire pulled Morton toward him and whispered something to his quarterback, who then puffed his chest and went forward with the postgame conference.—
Ty Kaplan,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
-
This whiskey can, of course, be enjoyed without puffing on a cigar—that part of the ritual is completely optional—but it was made very intentionally by master blender Nancy Fraley and master distiller John Schrepel.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The windshield repels the huddled form and the thump on the pavement sounds like a rebuke.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The result is that the sonic boom becomes a sonic thump of 60 dB to 80 dB, or about that of a car door closing for those on the ground.—
David Szondy
October 28,
New Atlas,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Pop icon Justin Bieber publicly congratulated him, leading to the development of a friendship between the two.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk — who knows a little something about landing a 900 — congratulated Ovechkin on the milestone.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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