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
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Recent Examples of poking
Max Bultman, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Spillman seemingly didn’t mind poking fun at her age, hitting the comedic beat again in the November episode that featured the finalists.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Signs that your plant needs repotting include roots poking out of the drainage holes and the soil drying out more quickly than usual.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
Workers for Shell, an Anglo-Dutch company, had been poking holes in the ground, looking for oil—and struck it rich.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Full Serpent is intended to offer more of Green’s adventures in a future landscape where the past is always poking through the dust, bubbling over with color and life.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
Cruz had previously liked an Instagram Reel poking fun at the situation.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Jan. 2026
Kendall Jenner stars in a new Fanatics Sportsbook ad that sees her poking fun at some of her ex-boyfriends.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Their second goal came on a play that McLellan still felt postgame should have been overturned for goalie interference, with Dylan Strome seemingly poking a puck out from under Gibson’s glove and scoring on a wraparound.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Spillman seemingly didn’t mind poking fun at her age, hitting the comedic beat again in the November episode that featured the finalists.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Signs that your plant needs repotting include roots poking out of the drainage holes and the soil drying out more quickly than usual.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
Workers for Shell, an Anglo-Dutch company, had been poking holes in the ground, looking for oil—and struck it rich.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Full Serpent is intended to offer more of Green’s adventures in a future landscape where the past is always poking through the dust, bubbling over with color and life.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
Cruz had previously liked an Instagram Reel poking fun at the situation.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Jan. 2026
Kendall Jenner stars in a new Fanatics Sportsbook ad that sees her poking fun at some of her ex-boyfriends.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking
Adjective
-
From sunset yoga and a world-class spa to leisurely strolls under the live oaks and days spent by the pool, activities at the 20,000-acre resort are numerous—and relaxing.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Most of the money engages the leisurely judgment of the bettors, who have all day to survey the odds or the records of the starting pitchers, or to apply their systems.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management inspected it and found a pipe protruding from a berm, leaking water where it’s not supposed to go.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
-
They’re typically installed above kitchen sinks and provide more light than standard windows, but their protruding design adds weight and insulation considerations.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The effect demands a more active degree of introspection than the average documentary, and Marczak’s unwavering commitment to that endurance test approach has a powerful way of messing with viewer expectations.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In reality, your body is constantly regulating them on its own, and messing with that process can be problematic.—
Rachel Reiff Ellis,
SELF,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Experts say a lingering cold air mass across the Midwest could keep temperatures below historical averages well into early spring.—
Brandi D. Addison,
IndyStar,
3 Feb. 2026
-
By Monday, any lingering concerns about Warsh or his history of hawkishness had been largely put aside as Wall Street turned its attention to surprisingly strong US manufacturing data.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Osage County District Judge Stuart Tate twice ruled against the attorney general’s office for dragging its feet in providing evidence to ET Gathering and Processing backing up the state’s complaints of market manipulation.—
Paul Monies,
Oklahoma Watch,
3 Feb. 2026
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All of the above has to be absolutely banned along with Border Patrol enforcement near the border, arrests or breaking down people’s doors without a real judicial warrant, and dragging people away regardless of their right to stay in America.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some folks who were moving a little slow, some folks wanted to dilute the Canadiana or the Big C Canadian of it.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In practice, the process is slow, burdensome, and uncertain.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cops also busted the security guard’s supervisor — a law enforcement officer employed by the city’s hospital system — for interfering in the guard’s arrest, sources said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Lemon is charged with conspiracy to deprive the church congregants of their rights and interfering by force with someone’s 1st Amendment rights.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Soon Carbone was crawling with celebrities.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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