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
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
In 2012 and 2013, Dreja suffered a series of strokes.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Shortly after Henry’s death, Augusta suffered two paralyzing strokes, intensifying her and Ed’s isolated, co-dependent relationship before her death in 1945.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Since 2003, labels of menopause treatments that contain estrogen – including pills, patches, sprays and creams – have warned that their use can increase the risk of uterine and breast cancers, as well as strokes and blood clots.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Dreja and McCarthy revived the band in 1992, with Dreja staying until a series of strokes forced him to retire in 2013, with Topham returning to replace him until 2015.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
Managing these risk factors can prevent cardiac crises like strokes and heart attacks.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The table below breaks down the comparisons by category, in necessarily broad strokes.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If this trend continued, more than 400,000 city residents would be killed by tobacco, with more than a million more suffering from heart attacks, lung disease, strokes, and cancer.
—Dr. Tom Frieden, Time, 30 Sep. 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
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
Shortly after Henry’s death, Augusta suffered two paralyzing strokes, intensifying her and Ed’s isolated, co-dependent relationship before her death in 1945.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Since 2003, labels of menopause treatments that contain estrogen – including pills, patches, sprays and creams – have warned that their use can increase the risk of uterine and breast cancers, as well as strokes and blood clots.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Dreja and McCarthy revived the band in 1992, with Dreja staying until a series of strokes forced him to retire in 2013, with Topham returning to replace him until 2015.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
Managing these risk factors can prevent cardiac crises like strokes and heart attacks.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The table below breaks down the comparisons by category, in necessarily broad strokes.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If this trend continued, more than 400,000 city residents would be killed by tobacco, with more than a million more suffering from heart attacks, lung disease, strokes, and cancer.
—Dr. Tom Frieden, Time, 30 Sep. 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
-
Millennials are currently ruling the tech industry and clinging to their roles as the economy is rocked by uncertainty due to tariffs, inflation increases living expenses, and AI swipes jobs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Deen also takes several swipes at her former detractors in the project, including fellow foodie and CNN travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 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
-
The assailant stopped mid-speech and delivered two blows straight to Antao’s face.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Large companies can absorb the blows, but the dry cleaner, toy importer, or family-run retailer cannot.—
Jacob Bennett,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 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
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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
-
But when the weather turns crisp, visitors should turn their attention to the interior of the park, where New England hardwoods like oak, maple, and beech offer punches of color to the evergreen forest.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Even after three seasons, the series still delivers unexpected twists and gut-punches.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Michael Kors loves Ethan’s final gown, and Law praises him for being a real storyteller.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
SpaceX Kemp generally praises SpaceX for leading the way with iterative design and founder Elon Musk's willingness to fail publicly in order to move fast.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 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 6 Oct. 2025.
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