as in swipes
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 caresses
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 massages
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strokes
Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
By mid-June, Druse was successfully qualified based on his history of mini-strokes.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
The approval happened after participants in several GLP-1 trials experienced significant reductions in major cardiac crises such as heart attacks and strokes and fewer cardiovascular deaths, says Isaacs.
—Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Heart-wise, protections from heart attacks, heart disease and strokes that come with higher estrogen production paired with less movement in your lifestyle can contribute to higher cholesterol and blood pressure that increase your risk of developing heart disease.
—Katherine Speller, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2025
On September 25, Dreja died of complications of multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease while in a London nursing home, according to his daughter, Jacqueline Dreja Zamboni.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2025
Steven Fisk finished two strokes better than Garrick Higgo to win the tournament.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Faded strokes of black and white eyeliner mirrored each other at the corners of her eyes, while an earth brown hue lined her lips.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
In 2012 and 2013, Dreja suffered a series of strokes.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Three major strokes and double brain surgery with a metal stent in your head will do that.
—Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
By mid-June, Druse was successfully qualified based on his history of mini-strokes.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
The approval happened after participants in several GLP-1 trials experienced significant reductions in major cardiac crises such as heart attacks and strokes and fewer cardiovascular deaths, says Isaacs.
—Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Heart-wise, protections from heart attacks, heart disease and strokes that come with higher estrogen production paired with less movement in your lifestyle can contribute to higher cholesterol and blood pressure that increase your risk of developing heart disease.
—Katherine Speller, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2025
On September 25, Dreja died of complications of multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease while in a London nursing home, according to his daughter, Jacqueline Dreja Zamboni.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2025
Steven Fisk finished two strokes better than Garrick Higgo to win the tournament.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Faded strokes of black and white eyeliner mirrored each other at the corners of her eyes, while an earth brown hue lined her lips.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
In 2012 and 2013, Dreja suffered a series of strokes.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strokes
Noun
-
Since then, dating has moved to apps and algorithms, to swipes and screens.—
Rebecca Rosman,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Belif’s Aqua Bomb Cooling Eye Gel, a Best of Beauty Award winner, delivers a burst of cooling hydration to refresh tired eyes, reduce puffiness, and brighten dark circles in just a few easy swipes.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Then Jennifer Tilly’s hand gently caresses Gina Gershon’s face from her cheek down to her chin.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But earlier, with the ceasefire on the verge of being cemented, Israel and Hamas continued to trade blows.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The Dances With Wolves star nearly came to blows with his costar Wes Bentley during a tense altercation on the set of Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western series, THR reported.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The clip, shared by Sarah Ingle (@saraheingle), a dedicated dog fosterer, shows seven-month-old Cookie Crisps nestled in her arms while Ingle gently pats her bottom.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
As a matter of fact, pats on the back are probably very few and far between.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Mia puffs up her body to look intimidating, as the googly-eyed statue stares back at her.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Lego Batman can effortlessly glide from foe to foe, linking punches and kicks from one bad guy to the next.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The humanoid also nails a couple of spins and launches a few punches.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Fortenberry is also on the board and praises Pollan’s contributions.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Backed by a twinkling, twanging guitar, Hartzman gently exhales a tune that describes, if not praises, the tougher parts of love.—
Karly Hartzman,
Vulture,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Will these two oddballs, thrust together by a dental emergency on a night that commends peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, maintain a friendship?—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Broncos head coach Sean Payton regularly commends Lazzaro’s work, both in terms of on-field data and research, and also in the scouting and draft realms.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strokes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share