STROKES Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

strokes 1 of 2

noun

plural of stroke

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

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strokes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stroke

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

as in massages

to praise too much a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors

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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

Noun

Clinical biomarkers and neuroimaging do not hold all the answers; many disorders—such as Alzheimer’s and some types of strokes—still require postmortem analysis for diagnostic confirmation. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Movies tend to work with bold strokes and colors, and absolute ideas; cinema is a popular medium, and both its power and its pitfalls come from its ability to simplify and underline. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026 The legendary Spanish marque disappeared from the motorcycle scene decades ago, leaving behind a trail of lightweight two-strokes, racing trophies and enough cult following to keep its name alive long after the factory doors had closed. — Bultaco, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026 Brenner countered him over the top, and held on to a 20m lead over the Colombian in the final desperate pedal strokes, delivering his Swiss team their most famous day. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 For astronauts, researchers hypothesize that increased radiation exposure during spaceflight speeds up atherosclerosis, the narrowing of arteries implicated in heart attacks and strokes. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026 Scheffler won by three strokes over runner-up Viktor Hovland. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026 Those strokes of his pen led him to a series of experiences that few other people have lived to describe. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Miyu Yamashita, the Japanese player tied for the second-round lead, dropped six strokes back with a 75. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026 For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself. — Kristine Hansen, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026 Research shows the risk of stroke also rises this time of year, and strokes present differently than heart attacks. — Allison Aubrey, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025 In the video, the cat eventually curls up in a ball and continues purring as Li strokes her head. — Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 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 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

According to RevitaLash, apply a few swipes of the serum to clean lashes once per day.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
Their swipes at one another have escalated so much that the sitting president has threatened to take away O’Donnell’s citizenship.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of swipes

Verb

The Princess Diaries star smiles, caresses her belly, then ducks out of the frame.

— Redazione People, Vanity Fair, 19 June 2026
Those of us with a penchant for fashion have managed—not without effort—to put aside the knowing glances, caresses, and hugs to take in every detail of the look.

— Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 7 June 2026

Definition of caresses

Verb

The center also has hydrotherapy chairs where athletes can lie as a jet of water, similar but much stronger than the jets in a jacuzzi, massages them.

— Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Nov. 2025
In a viral video shared on Instagram last Sunday under the username @whiskeytoller, the gray kitty can be seen hanging around his brother, Oakley, as his mom massages the injured area, doing his best to show his love and support.

— Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of massages

Noun

The sales of Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz particularly are big blows.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The impact of yesterday’s sharp drop in South Korean equities transmitted further into US markets overnight, spreading selling sentiment and dealing heavy blows to US semiconductor and memory stocks.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of blows

Noun

His legacy will be most remembered for two painful gut punches to Bruins tradition.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Mayer had some early success with her jab, but Cameron increasingly took control as the fight progressed and landed the cleaner punches before hurting Mayer with a right hand in the eighth round.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of punches

Verb

Later, after clearing the Silo 1 control room, Victor both chastises Camille for her failures and grudgingly praises her for lying so convincingly that his biometric lie detectors couldn’t detect it.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Scorsese, who directed the book’s film adaptation Hugo, also praises the novel for its innovation.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026