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 crawl
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
Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Jalen Brunson finished with 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting from the field and took a poke to the eye that left a red mark on his face midway through the game.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2025
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Allow the piece to dry out for a few days, then poke the end into moist potting soil.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
There was some gentle ribbing about his 25-yard strike being a toe poke.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Jalen Brunson finished with 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting from the field and took a poke to the eye that left a red mark on his face midway through the game.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
Other viewers poked fun at the stark difference between the Reddit users' two images.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Allow the piece to dry out for a few days, then poke the end into moist potting soil.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
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Using metal detectors and magnetometers, the team was able to locate large bits of steel and iron protruding from the seafloor that turned out to be parts of the frame and windlass, the machine used to reel in the anchor.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
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One of the biggest surprises of the 2025 Met Gala is Rihanna’s protruding belly.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2025
Verb
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In 2019 he was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of justice related to his bid to persuade Ukraine to interfere in the presidential election.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2025
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Cobb interfered in the fatal four-way match for the United States Championship as Jacob Fatu, LA Knight, Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre fought for the title.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2025
Verb
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The woman crawled to her bathroom and pulled the emergency cord, then the facility staff called 911, deputies said.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Sun Sentinel,
22 May 2025
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Here, 15 of the softest sheets that will convince you that crawling into bed at 9 p.m. is equivalent to self-care.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Further afield is the prospect of an India-EU FTA, although that process has dragged on for a decade.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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That dragged its stock down even though the company also reported a better profit for the latest quarter than expected.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Our frail nature, damaged by our propensity to mess things up, stands in need of grace and salvation.—
Anna Rowlands,
Time,
12 May 2025
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But, if those guys [the oligarchs] do start messing everything up, then there is really something for normal people to worry about.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
4 May 2025
Verb
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The pitch lingered in the air before diving under Jackson Merrill’s whiffing bat for an inning-ending strikeout.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Tariffs, inflation and lingering fears of a recession have left many Americans uneasy and pulling back on spending.—
Michelle Chapman,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
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However, a new poll shows his approval rating among this demographic may be creeping up again.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Listen to this article A 32-year-old woman got the scare of her life when a stranger crept up behind her and tried to shoot her in the back of the head in a random execution attempt on a Bronx street, video obtained by the Daily News shows.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
Verb
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In addition to its narrative function as a disguise that could help stop people from recognizing that the antiques guy is the same person snooping around in a shady part of the galaxy, Luthen’s wig is part of his character.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
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Helping distract the men from the matter at hand was Tim snooping around the Deputy Director’s office, and getting caught.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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