1
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
you'd better shut up if you don't want a poke on the nose
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the constantly bickering husband and wife seem unable to let five minutes pass without an exchange of gratuitous pokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
chiefly Southern & Midland
as in pouch
a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic)
the old warning against buying a pig in a poke
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
told him to stop poking into other people's business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to linger
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of poke
Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
That might mean a beachside lunch at the Cap Shack with rum punches, watermelon gazpacho, and a tuna poke bowl from a food truck.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
While speaking about naysayers who have been taking to the internet to poke fun at Kelly's weight loss, Morgan shared a video that Kelly recently posted on social media in response.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
The Fish Shop is introducing super soft poke that melts in your mouth.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
That might mean a beachside lunch at the Cap Shack with rum punches, watermelon gazpacho, and a tuna poke bowl from a food truck.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Silver patches poke through deep chestnut hair that, not long ago, bobbed in a ponytail on her long runs.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
While speaking about naysayers who have been taking to the internet to poke fun at Kelly's weight loss, Morgan shared a video that Kelly recently posted on social media in response.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
-
The jaguar growled, whirled and bit off the protruding head of the arrow.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And yes, the non-recessed device does indeed protrude out from the bottom of the shoe, so it's intended for use with road bike shoes and pedals only.—
Ben Coxworth
March 03,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The administration argues that the department can grant or revoke the temporary protections and judges should not interfere.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The nine defendants face charges of conspiring against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, interfering and intimidating with exercising the rights of religious freedom of worship, according to a 14-page grand jury indictment obtained by USA TODAY.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, a 12-person jury was selected Monday, and opening arguments went ahead in the Manhattan federal courthouse Tuesday morning, amid lingering questions about whether it could all be upended by a last-minute deal.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Patchy fog may linger in the morning.—
Brandi D. Addison,
IndyStar,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Miller made efforts to clean up the scene before dragging the 86-year-old’s body to a cellar under the shed, where she was later found, the indictment read.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Each team has to drag three giant snakes through a bunch of obstacles and then get a ball through a snake maze to win immunity.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The models who went all the way were the ones who ceded to Banks’s worldview, who agreed to have their hair dyed and their teeth messed with and their bodies altered.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
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As Nikki, a veteran killing machine, Jovovich is one mother not to be messed with.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Keep beverages and sweets covered, and be wary of drinking from soda cans outdoors since wasps can crawl inside.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The animal had crawled into a drain pipe during a cold snap and could not turn around to escape.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That later Presidents did indeed engage in military action without consulting Congress, creeping on to a power reserved for the legislature, is a fact of the past century and a half of American history but especially since the rise of the national-security state during the Cold War.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil, creeping thyme puts on a show, with small flowers covering the ground like a colorful carpet.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Although privacy advocates have praised the ability of encryption to effectively scramble messages so third parties are unable to snoop on people’s conversations, various members of law enforcement have said that doing so impedes their ability to investigate certain crimes.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
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Harry suggested that information had come from eavesdropping on his phone calls or having private investigators snoop on him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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