Synonyms of pokes

pokes 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of poke

1

as in jabs

a quick thrust

please stop giving the cat pokes while it's trying to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jabs
• punches
• digs
• pushes
• nudges
• sticks
• lunges
• shoves
• dabs
• stabs
• jerks
• jams
• jogs

2

as in blows

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

• blows
• swipes
• punches
• slaps
• thumps
• hits
• thuds
• whacks
• knocks
• smacks
• strokes
• licks
• spanks
• pounds
• slams
• bangs
• beats
• claps
• clips
• swats
• hooks
• kicks
• bops
• switches
• bashes
• chops
• hacks
• thwacks
• lashes
• raps
• biffs
• socks
• fillips
• pelts
• whams
• smashes
• hands
• plumps
• douses
• bats
• clouts
• dabs
• picks
• welts
• stripes
• haymakers
• cracks
• cuffs
• belts
• lickings
• wallops
• slugs
• buffets
• stingers
• knees
• swings
• busts
• boxes
• whops
• larrups
• beatings
• counterpunches
• counters
• shivers
• whips
• lefts
• counterstrokes
• counterblows
• rabbit punches
• sucker punches
• body blows
• uppercuts
• roundhouses
• batterings
• thrashings
• rights
• whippings
• KOs
• knockdowns
• pastings
• crunchers
• sidewinders
• drubbings
• right-handers
• bastinadoes
• kayos
• one-twos
• knockouts
• wallopings

3

as in insults

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

• insults
• sarcasms
• slaps
• outrages
• barbs
• digs
• indignities
• darts
• attacks
• slights
• slurs
• affronts
• epithets
• names
• brickbats
• girds
• offenses
• personalities
• taunts
• cuts
• dises
• disgraces
• sneers
• criticisms
• mocks
• put-downs
• abuses
• gibes
• swipes
• jeers
• quips
• shames
• catcalls
• invectives
• knocks
• vituperations
• tortures
• disapprovals
• slams
• torments
• dishonors
• opprobriums

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compliments
• praises
• commendations
• accolades
• acclaim
• flatteries
• applauses
• adulations

pokes

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of poke, chiefly Southern & Midland

as in pouches

a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic)

the old warning against buying a pig in a poke

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pouches
• bags
• sacks
• backpacks
• packages
• packets
• bundles
• packs
• wallets
• traveling bags
• purses
• duffel bags
• tote bags
• carryalls
• pocketbooks
• shopping bags
• knapsacks
• totes
• satchels
• portmanteaus
• garment bags
• rucksacks
• haversacks
• barracks bags
• parcels
• handbags
• ditty bags
• work bags
• kit bags
• flight bags

pokes

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of poke

1

as in protrudes

to extend outward beyond a usual point

saw his head poking through the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protrudes
• bulges
• juts
• swells
• stands out
• pouts
• sticks out
• projects
• billows
• beetles
• overhangs
• pouches
• starts
• bellies
• bunches
• balloons
• bags
• extends
• stretches
• pooches
• inflates
• distends
• dilates
• lengthens
• expands
• domes
• mushrooms
• elongates
• snowballs
• blows up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shrinks
• contracts
• compresses
• condenses
• constricts

2

as in interferes

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern

told him to stop poking into other people's business

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interferes
• messes
• snoops
• intervenes
• pries
• intrudes
• obtrudes
• meddles
• noses
• intermeddles
• butts in
• interlopes
• invades
• encroaches
• intercedes
• mucks (about or around)
• interposes
• plays
• tampers
• fiddles
• fools
• infringes
• trespasses
• chisels (in)
• monkeys
• barges (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoids
• ignores
• shuns
• neglects
• eschews
• disregards
• overlooks

3

as in drags

to move or act slowly

just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drags
• lingers
• crawls
• delays
• strolls
• creeps
• shuffles
• plays
• lags
• loiters
• diddles
• dawdles
• marks time
• hangs fire
• mopes
• falls behind
• stalls
• drops behind
• lollygags
• tarries
• dallies
• staggers
• dillydallies
• saunters
• lounges
• drags one's feet
• ambles
• idles
• takes one's time
• loafs
• inches
• shilly-shallies
• putters (around)
• potters (around)
• lolls
• fiddles (around)
• fools around
• hangs (around or out)
• eases
• decelerates
• trifles
• messes around
• lumbers
• monkeys (around)
• plods
• temporizes
• slows (down or up)
• procrastinates
• filibusters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushes
• rips
• runs
• flies
• tears
• scurries
• barrels
• courses
• hurries
• races
• dashes
• speeds
• scoots
• whirls
• whisks
• whizzes
• hastens
• zips
• careers
• bolts
• scrambles
• rockets
• darts
• hustles
• scuds
• runs
• humps
• hurtles
• bowls
• trots
• breezes
• jogs
• gallops
• stampedes
• sprints
• accelerates
• quickens
• hotfoots (it)
• speeds (up)
• outruns
• overtakes
• outpaces
• catches up
• outstrips
• fast-forwards

4

as in crawls

to move slowly

they were just poking along home

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drags
• crawls
• creeps
• shuffles
• inches
• limps
• slouches
• oozes
• noses
• creaks (along)
• plods
• snails
• trudges
• lumbers
• tramps
• shambles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• races
• flies
• speeds
• floats
• glides
• sails
• tears
• whizzes
• zips
• hurries

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pokes

Noun

Then in the second, Mattias Samuelsson was allowed to take multiple pokes at Jeremy Swayman before Geekie clobbered him. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

Privacy may struggle within a buzzing neighborhood as the Sun in your contemplative 12th house pokes indulgent Jupiter in your 3rd House of Messages. —Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

Pepsi has for decades taken pokes at rival Coke in an endless array of commercials, but this time, the youth-skewing cola company really means business. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Jan. 2026

A lot of times, these hot-button issues that are pressed, those little pokes, are more nuanced than they’re portrayed. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 2026

In the hands of the right provider, filler can enhance and even transform your face with just a few strategic pokes. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 11 Nov. 2025

There weren’t any needles, pokes, or prods involved, just a simple applicator patch that stuck to the side of my stomach to help the machine navigate where to output the energy. —Essence, 24 Sep. 2025

The rooftop pool and open-late bars draw a youngish crowd—lots of millennials with stick-and-pokes—of couples and friends, and absolutely zero kids (though the property is dog- and cat- friendly). —Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

The non-extinction of Zaglossus attenboroughi, in the Cyclops Mountains, first suspected in 2007 on evidence of nose pokes, was confirmed. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Verb

Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin. —Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026

Instead, the robot simply pokes through it. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026

My daughter, Brigid, the oldest of the girls, pokes her head out of the kitchen. —Danielle Parker, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

The promo pokes fun at their sandwich-selling rival, Jersey Mike's. —Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

The script lightly pokes fun at the lofty ambitions of theater-makers who aim to change lives through their art, while ultimately affirming the power of theater to lift people’s spirits. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

Your 6th House of Health takes focus with the nurturing Moon there, though Luna also pokes expensive Jupiter in your 3rd House of Distractions. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026

In April, ruby-red paintbrush pokes out of the ground, and in late summer, vibrant yellow rabbitbrush flowers join the mix. —Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026

Leah pokes her head out around his legs, her eyes wild with excitement. —Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026