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
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Recent Examples of poke
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026
Choose from a plate lunch or poke bowl with high-quality protein and side options like pineapple BBQ chicken, kalbi ribs, teriyaki beef, ahi tuna, edamame, kimchi, pickled ginger, seaweed salad, and ripe mango.
—Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 May 2026
Gillis opened the show, poking fun at Hart's height and race, while serving as the host and master of ceremonies.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
Elsewhere, in-room dining is served 24 hours a day, and The Pool House menu fills in any gaps with poke bowls, club sandwiches, and post-late-night-friendly bites like the breakfast burrito.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026
Choose from a plate lunch or poke bowl with high-quality protein and side options like pineapple BBQ chicken, kalbi ribs, teriyaki beef, ahi tuna, edamame, kimchi, pickled ginger, seaweed salad, and ripe mango.
—Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
Other roasters had also poked fun at Hart for taking part in the controversial fest.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 May 2026
Gillis opened the show, poking fun at Hart's height and race, while serving as the host and master of ceremonies.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Noun
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Microsoft’s lawyer even took a jab at Musk’s intentions, asking Altman to testify about other major investors whom Musk has curiously not sought to wrangle into the lawsuit.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
Rex Reed, the longtime movie critic and celebrity interviewer known for his contrarian attitude and eloquent, vicious jabs of his pen, died Tuesday.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Amid aspersions and attack ads, the pair nearly came to blows at a community debate.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
From there, both fighters were trading blows, but the fifth round was when Strickland had an interesting moment with Chimaev.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
When Azik tries to rid himself of the stigma, calling someone else weak as if to offload the physical weight of the insult, a startling act of violence occurs.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Sometimes, there’s no better way to pay tribute to a dear friend than by lambasting them with insults.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
These schools saw a roughly 30% drop in total device pings during school hours by the third year after pouch adoption.—
Greg Toppo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Users place the pouch between the gum and upper lip, where saliva moistens it and releases nicotine.—
Fran Kritz,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Under the flaps of his jacket there was a small tear in his T-shirt, directly over his left nipple, which protruded like a knot of purple rope.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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And in turn, the 867-foot monolith protruding from the surrounding Wyoming prairie like the stump of the world’s largest tree became a big draw for tourists.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Kam Hendrix interfered in the match, but NXT North American champion Myles Borne came in and chased him off.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Helm had hoped to get started at Juju yesterday, but operational difficulties during the transition interfered.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Damp conditions inside the drum encourage mildew and lingering odors that can be tough to remove from fabric.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
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The filmmaker explores how Inés’ coming of age mirrors the lingering wounds of Chile’s political transition to democracy from the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet – a theme at the heart of Martelli’s feature debut Chile ’76, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Analysts have repeatedly warned that if the war drags on and supply chains are disrupted for long enough, prices for gas and a range of other goods could continue to climb.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Billy, who speaks in a honeyed southern accent, dresses in Old Hollywood drag, and lives alone in the defunct summer camp where Camp Miasma was shot, isn’t just an envoy from another generation but a representative of a more visceral relationship with art.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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