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.
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Recent Examples of strokes
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2026
Novo Nordisk is stressing the overall health benefits of Wegovy, including lower risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
Wheeler had to mind his strokes down the stretch, too, as Wade Binfield — one of the pros in this year’s field — had the hot hand Friday.
—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
On a usual France matchday, Didier Deschamps will go into Guy Stephan’s bedroom, pick up an electric razor and shave his assistant’s head with light, gentle strokes.
—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
Even when words had a short /u/ vowel, spellings like wulf, wud and wunder would have been too confusing in the era of manuscript writing, what with its rows of upright quill strokes.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
Prolonged or acute exposure to smoke has been known to trigger heart attacks, strokes and other serious respiratory illnesses.
—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
Start at one end of the sidewalk and move the pressure washer evenly with overlapping strokes.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
Her mother connected on Facebook with Dawson Oliver, a Texas teen who had multiple strokes at 16 and had also gone through rehab at TIRR.
—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
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
Noun
Meanwhile, Morikawa, who started the day 9 strokes behind and fired a 61, was in the clubhouse, warm, safe and dry at 20 under par to watch the proceedings.
—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2026
Novo Nordisk is stressing the overall health benefits of Wegovy, including lower risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
Wheeler had to mind his strokes down the stretch, too, as Wade Binfield — one of the pros in this year’s field — had the hot hand Friday.
—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
On a usual France matchday, Didier Deschamps will go into Guy Stephan’s bedroom, pick up an electric razor and shave his assistant’s head with light, gentle strokes.
—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
Even when words had a short /u/ vowel, spellings like wulf, wud and wunder would have been too confusing in the era of manuscript writing, what with its rows of upright quill strokes.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
Prolonged or acute exposure to smoke has been known to trigger heart attacks, strokes and other serious respiratory illnesses.
—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
Start at one end of the sidewalk and move the pressure washer evenly with overlapping strokes.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
Her mother connected on Facebook with Dawson Oliver, a Texas teen who had multiple strokes at 16 and had also gone through rehab at TIRR.
—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
24 June 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
-
Salicylic acid works deep within pores to tackle buildup, while lactic acid smooths rough texture and refines skin’s surface, leaving skin looking clearer and feeling smoother in just a few swipes.
-
Clark and Bonner famously got into it during a physical postseason clash in 2024, including shoves and swipes.
Verb
-
The Princess Diaries star smiles, caresses her belly, then ducks out of the frame.
-
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.
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.
-
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.
Noun
-
Onaje died four days later — having suffered fatal brain hemorrhaging from multiple blows to his skull.
-
Officers said that Samartino quickly assessed the situation and immediately began administering back blows to the infant.
Verb
-
Each function compares itself to that function at other companies of similar scale and the functional leader pats themselves on the back for being ahead or at least not behind.
-
Mama pats Rafa’s head then ruffles his hair.
Verb
-
An active Sun puffs up Earth’s atmosphere, creating higher drag for satellites in low-Earth orbit.
-
With its telltale cone shape, the northernmost of Sicily's Aeolian Islands is home to a volcano that puffs on a near-constant basis.
Noun
-
Gunther took out Sami Zayn after a delay, but Sami stormed back into the match and hammered Gunther with punches.
-
Members of Rita's loyalty program who use the Rita’s Ice app will get double loyalty punches with a purchase of the treat.
Verb
-
Under this light, Penelope emerges as exemplary, cunning, wounded, and trapped by the male order that praises her.
-
Ornatov praises this cleaner for its ability to dissolve and absorb the mess, which keeps you from having to scrub the same spot repeatedly—time saved, effort reduced.
Cite this Entry
“Strokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strokes. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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