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
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
Influenced by her Indian heritage, Japanese craft philosophy, and the traditions of Shetland knitting, her work is highly distinctive and also wholly wearable; David and I stroked scarves, asymmetric wraps, and sweaters with yearning.
—Sarah Moss, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
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
Influenced by her Indian heritage, Japanese craft philosophy, and the traditions of Shetland knitting, her work is highly distinctive and also wholly wearable; David and I stroked scarves, asymmetric wraps, and sweaters with yearning.
—Sarah Moss, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 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
-
Does all kale need to be massaged?—
Zoe Denenberg,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Davidson said four staff members massaged about two gallons of canola oil onto Elmer for seven hours while feeding him occasionally.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gonzalez, who was wearing a blue, button-up shirt and khaki pants, patted the back of his attorney, Jude Faccidomo.—
Grethel Aguila,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Gonzalez, who was wearing a blue button up-shirt and khaki pants, patted the back of his attorney, Jude Faccidomo.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wintour then praised her co-chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos, citing her energy and positive attitude.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
-
Last year, she was praised for her take on Site Santa Fe.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
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After Biles qualified for her third Olympic Games, Owens congratulated his wife with a kiss while holding a cutout of her face.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
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Lush’s other co-founder, Mark Constantine, reviewed these lackluster bars and congratulated the pair on inventing something new(ish… solid was historically the norm in body and hair care up until plastic bottles took over).—
Kara McGrath,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Parker also commended Sheridan and 101 Studios for their commitment and investment in Fort Worth.—
Brayden Garcia
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
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So yes, Marinakis must clearly be commended for spending big and showing ambition on and off the field, with plans to expand the City Ground to more than 50,000 seats, having already revamped the training ground.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Was any draft decision of this team’s past quarter-century applauded more than Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert?—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The audience laughed and applauded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The gently puffed sleeves offer a unique silhouette, and the knit detailing adds extra flair.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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Declan Rice puffed his cheeks out for what could have been a world-record attempt in cheek-puffing.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stroked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroked. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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