as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the poking pace of the repair work has put everything way behind schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messing
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 crawling
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dragging
to move slowly
they were just poking along home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poking
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
New Bayern Munich signing Luis Díaz strolled down the left flank before cutting inside and poking a cross along the six-yard line.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Interstate 10 was flooded, with cars poking out from the water.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
There was a valley of veins moving over his hands, blue rivers poking underneath his hairless arms.
—Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Wearing a T-shirt, flannel and jeans, his frizzy hair poking from under the back and sides of a train-conductor cap, Young resembled his late-middle-aged self save for a noticeably paunchier belly, whiter sideburns and craggier face.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
As well as short spikes covering its back, the dinosaur had a pelvic shield and two large spikes poking out above its hips.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025
The mood of the scene works like a pendulum as the women go from sisterly ribbing to poking each other’s deepest inner wounds and back again.
—Megan Vick, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Jude doesn’t waste any time poking fun at the mass appeal madness of trying to create something for everyone.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Gavras, working from a script he co-wrote with Pulitzer-finalist playwright Will Arbery, seems to be poking fun at the vacuous postures of the oligarch class, just as Ruben Östlund and many other filmmakers have in recent years.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
New Bayern Munich signing Luis Díaz strolled down the left flank before cutting inside and poking a cross along the six-yard line.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Interstate 10 was flooded, with cars poking out from the water.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
There was a valley of veins moving over his hands, blue rivers poking underneath his hairless arms.
—Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Wearing a T-shirt, flannel and jeans, his frizzy hair poking from under the back and sides of a train-conductor cap, Young resembled his late-middle-aged self save for a noticeably paunchier belly, whiter sideburns and craggier face.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
As well as short spikes covering its back, the dinosaur had a pelvic shield and two large spikes poking out above its hips.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025
The mood of the scene works like a pendulum as the women go from sisterly ribbing to poking each other’s deepest inner wounds and back again.
—Megan Vick, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Jude doesn’t waste any time poking fun at the mass appeal madness of trying to create something for everyone.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking
Adjective
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Bring along family or friends to enjoy a leisurely walk, trip to your local cider mill, adventurous hike or a picnic.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
With plates this inventive, brunch at Etch is less a leisurely pause and more an invitation to explore bold, boundary-crossing flavors.—
Rai Mincey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sharks are often imagined cruising just beneath the waves, dorsal fin protruding from the dark, ocean waters to alert people of their incoming doom.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Eventually, the villager spotted something unexpected—the nearly complete cranium of an unknown, ancient hominin protruding from a small chamber’s interior wall.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Her grandkids are crawling into trouble.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
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The pair is seen crawling through a wildflower field, dancing, and jumping, but also hollering at each other, brandishing knives, and at some point, Lawrence licks a window with zeal.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sesame and potato as a combo is, in fact, reminiscent of the days of our collective childhoods, when experimentation looked like dragging Wendy’s fries through a vanilla Frosty.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Samuel cut inside off an excellent lead block by Croskey-Merritt and shed nickel back Dru Phillips’ tackle attempt before dragging linebacker Bobby Okereke with him to the goal line for a touchdown.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Biden, who ended his bid for a second White House term 107 days before last year's election, has been relatively slow to move on presidential library planning compared with most of his recent predecessors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
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With Parkinson’s, doctors implant electrodes in the brain that produce electrical impulses to disrupt the abnormal signals that cause tremors, stiffness and slow movement.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The ministry said the statements violate a principle of international law that bars ambassadors from interfering in the host country’s internal affairs.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
25 Aug. 2025
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The performer filed a complaint in a California district court on Tuesday requesting the cancellation of Paisley Park's pending applications for the Apollonia name, and is also seeking an injunction to stop the estate from interfering in her use of her stage name.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Coach Mike McDaniel said Waller was injured before Wednesday’s practice, delaying his return after spending last season in retirement.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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The experts also recommend keeping devices out of bedrooms at night, establishing screen-free meals and even considering delaying access until mid-adolescence.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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