as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
all it took was one hard stroke to knock the ball out of the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to caress
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
2
as in to massage
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to delete
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it
if you make a mistake on the form, just stroke it out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stroke
Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
This includes the office that deals with smoking, a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Noun
In 1998, Sheen had a stroke after an overdose, but then quickly left rehab.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
This includes the office that deals with smoking, a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Troy Johnston stroked an RBI single.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
-
Such a move would not only disrupt the 170 million Americans who use the app but also deal a major blow to the creator economy, which relies heavily on TikTok for income and audience growth.—
Katie Salcius,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Losing wing-back Liberato Cacace — so impressive alongside Callum Doyle down that flank at Millwall a fortnight ago — to injury was a huge blow.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That’s not the case with the Margaret Dabbs London Nail Strengthening Treatment, which reinforces flimsy fingernails after just one swipe of its brush.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Enter the juicy lip stain, the modern beauty hybrid that merges a non-sticky lip balm with the enduring color payoff of a stain into a single swipe.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Bass-heavy tracks carry plenty of thump while vocals still sound crisp, and the companion app gives you real control over the EQ.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
-
And the thump, thump, thumping of her brother’s hands pounding a heavy bag.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In the hit series Severance, Tillman plays a manager at Lumon Industries, where employees have implants that enable them to become one person at work and transform into a totally different person outside of work.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Bobby Hart, a songwriter who co-wrote some of the greatest hits of the Monkees, and a performer in his own right who made the top 10 as a member of the duo Boyce and Hart, died Wednesday at age 86.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tyreek Hill in a slap contest, body slamming some WWE guys, and beating all the Buccaneers offensive line in a stein-holding contest.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Opta project them to finish on 53 points, slap-bang in mid-table.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Too many steps, too much confusion, no real punch.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
But the punches kept finding home.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Eduardo Rodriguez gave his former team chances in Friday’s early innings, but the only damage came on a game-tying RBI triple by Nathaniel Lowe, whose 410-foot knock would have been a home run in 26 of 30 major league ballparks.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The study is the latest knock on a technology, for years promoted by oil and gas industry, that has often been touted as a climate solution.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The offense started fast but finished with a thud.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Sep. 2025
-
When the last clasp was undone, Rusty fell face first to the floor with a great thud.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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