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 lingering
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of poking
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
The villains in this TikTok trend are clear, with most of the videos poking fun at narcissistic, annoying, or outright delusional people that just seem to be an inescapable part of life these days.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s even a white serving bowl fashioned after a classic Easter basket, with an adorable ceramic bunny poking out.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
Users across social media responded to the TMZ headline with a wave of sarcastic comments, each one poking at how trivial the original report seemed.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Weeks later, the congresswoman could still the fractured bones in his forearm poking up under the skin.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Richard Baldes sits in the driver’s seat, silver hair poking out from under his Buffalo Bills hat.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Parr’s humor is also detectably British, with a poking quality that only rarely verges into outright peevishness.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
But even before that, there were questions and media folks, like myself and others, were poking these questions about the president's former president's acuity and age and how much that was affecting his decision making or ability to run a campaign and even be President of the United States.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
The villains in this TikTok trend are clear, with most of the videos poking fun at narcissistic, annoying, or outright delusional people that just seem to be an inescapable part of life these days.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s even a white serving bowl fashioned after a classic Easter basket, with an adorable ceramic bunny poking out.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
Users across social media responded to the TMZ headline with a wave of sarcastic comments, each one poking at how trivial the original report seemed.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Weeks later, the congresswoman could still the fractured bones in his forearm poking up under the skin.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Richard Baldes sits in the driver’s seat, silver hair poking out from under his Buffalo Bills hat.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Parr’s humor is also detectably British, with a poking quality that only rarely verges into outright peevishness.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking
Adjective
-
Doing so will give you easy access to the beach and make leisurely days of fun in the sun more accessible.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
-
This mini dress pairs classic white polka dots with a nautical navy base, nodding to the breezy sailor-chic trend while remaining versatile enough to wear as a beach cover-up, a sunny sightseeing outfit, or for leisurely island walks.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The jaguar growled, whirled and bit off the protruding head of the arrow.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Photos throughout the years show Maxwell's dark thin eyebrows, slightly protruding ears and thin lips that have a distinct shape when at rest.—
Layla Ferris,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Pass the legislation and stop messing with our circadian rhythms.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
If a co-worker interrupts a research stretch, calmly propose another time to avoid offending them or messing with your pre-set schedule.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This is a day for speaking plainly and clearing up lingering misunderstandings.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Overall, industry grosses were up 8 percent from the prior week, as productions shook off lingering effects from the snowstorm and show cancellations.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The war dragging on could also see markets whip back and oil costs continue to soar, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil remains largely impassible.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Experiencing that life cycle of knowing where my food comes from and watching my uncles do the butchering and then eating it the same day through slow roasting was really impactful for me as a kid.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The law enforcement steps have alarmed election officials and Democrats who fear that the administration is building an argument for interfering in this year’s midterm elections.—
Isaac Arnsdorf,
Washington Post,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The nine defendants face charges of conspiring against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, interfering and intimidating with exercising the rights of religious freedom of worship, according to a 14-page grand jury indictment obtained by USA TODAY.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Others made a break for the bathrooms, crawling or running in a hunched position.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
-
When the bus snakes towards San Siro, crawling through the fans, Tomori will feel a familiar emotion.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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