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
The scrawny stray Marlon Brando stroked in The Godfather was found on the Paramount lot the morning of the shoot.
—
Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Ohtani stroked a triple into the right field corner in his first at-bat Thursday and scored on Mookie Betts’ double.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
The Tigers tied the game in the eighth when Spencer Torkelson stroked a two-run double off reliever Matt Brash, who wound up getting the win.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Toronto first got to Junk in the third inning as Nathan Lukes stroked a leadoff double, advanced on Ernie Clement’s flyout and came home on Springer’s RBI single.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
On the pitch, Rory Delap had one hand on his hip while the other stroked his chin.
—Max Mathews, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Ohtani stroked a triple into the right field corner in his first at-bat Thursday and scored on Mookie Betts’ double.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
The Tigers tied the game in the eighth when Spencer Torkelson stroked a two-run double off reliever Matt Brash, who wound up getting the win.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Toronto first got to Junk in the third inning as Nathan Lukes stroked a leadoff double, advanced on Ernie Clement’s flyout and came home on Springer’s RBI single.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
On the pitch, Rory Delap had one hand on his hip while the other stroked his chin.
—Max Mathews, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroked
Verb
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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
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In one photo, the couple posed on the beach while Wyatt caressed her growing baby bump.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cornerback Darnay Holmes, suffering from a thigh cramp and desperate to return to the game in the final minutes, pulled down his uniform pants — exposing his backside — while a trainer vigorously massaged the area.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Some bridesmaids prayed, others massaged her head, while others burned Palo Santo and turned to natural remedies.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When tackle Jonah Laulu dropped an interception, Mahomes went over and patted him on the back.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
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On one occasion, backup goalkeeper Matt Turner, seated to Pulisic’s right, put his left arm around Pulisic and patted his back, consoling him.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Petite shoppers have also praised it.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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The new construction and shape was nearly unanimously praised, although many fans took issue with the style’s limited availability.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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West, in an interview, congratulated Dokes on her decision to run and welcomed her to the race.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
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The Democratic National Committee congratulated Mamdani on his win but is hardly sending resources to a race that has drawn annoyance from the typical raft of consultants still trying to figure out what, exactly, the party can sell in the next cycle.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There was a time when Chiles would have been commended for her service.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
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Stern later commended Winfrey's charitable work elsewhere in the episode.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Egyptian attacker briefly applauded Liverpool’s jubilant away end inside Deutsche Bank Park after the final whistle before turning and making a beeline for the tunnel as the celebrations continued.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Meantime, the analyst applauded AppLovin’s expansion into e-commerce advertising, which has a total addressable market that is multiple times the size of the mobile game in-app advertising market.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are firm and the center is puffed up and wet-looking.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Bake until puffed and set, about 10 to 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroked. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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