1
as in caressed
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
the young mother gently stroked the sleeping child's brow and then leaned over and kissed him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in massaged
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of stroked
After a popout to second by first baseman Jordan Woolery, shortstop Aleena Garcia stroked an RBI single to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
—
Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
Freddie Freeman stroked a two-out RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning to put the Dodgers ahead 3-0.
—CBS News, 3 May 2026
Last weekend, after Petteys stroked three doubles in a victory over Creighton, the Bluejays showed her the ultimate respect, walking her four times, three intentionally, during the remainder of the series at Burrill Family Field, UConn taking two of three.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
In her first varsity at-bat the next day against Lincoln-Way Central, Krauchun stroked a single up the middle.
—Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Ferrer then went back to the sinker, placed the 98 mph pitch on the outside edge of the plate and Merrill stroked it to left, clearing the bases for a walk-off win in front the remnants of a sellout crowd of 46,095.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Assisted by Godo, Guessand coolly stroked the ball past Jo Hyeon-woo in the South Korea net from inside the box in the 35th minute.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2026
One contestant in a Travis Kelce butt cut leaped over an ironing board; another held a tape measure to his crotch and stroked it.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
At the end of the table, Faris, an Iranian refugee who had ended up on drugs, stroked a glass of tea.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
Freddie Freeman stroked a two-out RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning to put the Dodgers ahead 3-0.
—CBS News, 3 May 2026
Last weekend, after Petteys stroked three doubles in a victory over Creighton, the Bluejays showed her the ultimate respect, walking her four times, three intentionally, during the remainder of the series at Burrill Family Field, UConn taking two of three.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
In her first varsity at-bat the next day against Lincoln-Way Central, Krauchun stroked a single up the middle.
—Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Ferrer then went back to the sinker, placed the 98 mph pitch on the outside edge of the plate and Merrill stroked it to left, clearing the bases for a walk-off win in front the remnants of a sellout crowd of 46,095.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Assisted by Godo, Guessand coolly stroked the ball past Jo Hyeon-woo in the South Korea net from inside the box in the 35th minute.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2026
One contestant in a Travis Kelce butt cut leaped over an ironing board; another held a tape measure to his crotch and stroked it.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
At the end of the table, Faris, an Iranian refugee who had ended up on drugs, stroked a glass of tea.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroked
Verb
-
Electric Bleu is French food caressed with California seasonality and the occasional pop of Aussie nostalgia.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In a video shared by the Broncos from the unveiling, Smith is seen carefully caressed the statue of her son's face just after the curtain drops.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While this is all occurring on your scalp and hair, your body is on a heated bed, and your body is getting massaged.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
-
Does all kale need to be massaged?—
Zoe Denenberg,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After Munich this year, Shelton patted himself on the back.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
With the Mets taking a 2-1 lead, Rodón, clearly unhappy, appeared to curse at himself as Austin Wells patted him on the shoulder.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Universal City Police Chief Johnny Siemens praised the swift response by officers and partner agencies.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Bernardino Couñago, the firm’s co-founder and CEO, praised the potential of the solar platform.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Hurts did not change his description of their relationship when asked about it in his first news conference of the offseason and congratulated Brown on his wedding.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
After Wrexham won 3-0 against Charlton to clinch a spot in the European Football League Championship, Lively congratulated her husband, co-owner Rob Mac and the club for a successful season.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
For example, Dick Cheney’s 2008 address to the graduates emphasized the Coast Guard legacy and role in homeland security and commended the class on its motto to defend the Constitution and uphold high standards.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
-
Sarah Eagan, executive director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy and former Child Advocate, said Scheff should be commended for running a challenging agency.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Verb
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According to eyewitnesses, when passers-by realized security forces had apprehended the notorious crime figure, people cheered and applauded the police.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who applauded the mayor at her emergency declaration event, is now looking to unseat her.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Chests puffed up with victory for a time, but soon new imperial worries bent shoulders and backs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Cook for 4-6mins on each side until puffed and cooked through.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stroked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroked. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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