1
as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in interfered
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
told him to stop poking into other people's business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dragged
to move slowly
they were just poking along home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poked
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.
—
Iris Kwok
may 12, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Holding her breath, Ana poked her head into the coop.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
The use of tax increment financing, or TIF, across Illinois has already poked holes in the property tax base by tucking away billions into special funds that can only be spent within certain geographic boundaries.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Other roasters had also poked fun at Hart for taking part in the controversial fest.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 May 2026
Last week’s episode of Saturday Night Live (streaming on Peacock) poked fun at maternal fantasies, with a little twist, Erik Adams writes.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
In April, two chicks poked their heads out of one of the boxes, making history.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Hartman caught the pass and poked it low past Wedgewood while being buried by a Brent Burns check.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
Joshua poked me in the shoulder.
—Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
Iris Kwok
may 12, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Holding her breath, Ana poked her head into the coop.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
The use of tax increment financing, or TIF, across Illinois has already poked holes in the property tax base by tucking away billions into special funds that can only be spent within certain geographic boundaries.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Other roasters had also poked fun at Hart for taking part in the controversial fest.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 May 2026
Last week’s episode of Saturday Night Live (streaming on Peacock) poked fun at maternal fantasies, with a little twist, Erik Adams writes.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
In April, two chicks poked their heads out of one of the boxes, making history.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Hartman caught the pass and poked it low past Wedgewood while being buried by a Brent Burns check.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
Joshua poked me in the shoulder.
—Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poked
Verb
-
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
-
Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 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
-
And while the night sweats and the respiratory stuff cleared up pretty quickly, the fatigue lingered for two and a half weeks.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
His oblique muscle strain lingered longer than initially anticipated.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Chinese firms have dragged their feet in purchasing the chips after the Chinese government encouraged them to turn to domestic chipmakers like Huawei.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
Another witness described seeing a woman dragged from a vehicle, pinned against a wall, repeatedly raped and then stabbed, with the assault allegedly continuing after her death.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That idea has led to a rigid view that symphonic pieces aren’t to be messed with.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
But Jefferson found the experience of sitting there while lesser writers messed with his prose unbearable.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
When a Republican says something foolish, network anchors react like a gator just crawled into the studio wearing a MAGA hat.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
The next day, steady rains caused the F1 Academy race to be cancelled and the first 20 laps of the Miami Grand Prix to be crawled behind the safety car.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
In the middle of his soiree, the Spaniard had crept away from the other guests to tell Smit some exciting news.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Security cameras showed the moment three masked suspects crept through the backyard of a La Cañada home before forcing their way inside.—
Jasmine Viel,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poked. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
