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
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Recent Examples of strokes
Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2026
Ryan died in 2004 at age 80, having endured two strokes.
—Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Hall has gained strokes on the greens in his three Canadian Opens.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
There remains something to be said for bold strokes.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
The leaderboard only separated late on Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, or even death.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 8 June 2026
The leaderboard only separated late Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
The leaderboard only separated late on Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
—CBS News, 7 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
The 31-year-old shot a final round 65 to break away from a crowded field and win by three strokes.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2026
Ryan died in 2004 at age 80, having endured two strokes.
—Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Hall has gained strokes on the greens in his three Canadian Opens.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
There remains something to be said for bold strokes.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
The leaderboard only separated late on Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, or even death.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 8 June 2026
The leaderboard only separated late Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
The leaderboard only separated late on Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
—CBS News, 7 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
-
Taking a few swipes at several AI companies, Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, took the time to emphasize the company’s focus on privacy and user experience.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
Maxwell Bowman’s projection and video design are sharply on point, with clean and clear swipes and transitions that are the lifeblood of any live production.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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
Noun
-
The biggest blows came from Garcia and Starling Marte.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
Suddenly, Brooks began raining down blows on Sumner with a gutta-percha cane while an accomplice warded off lawmakers who tried to intervene.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
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.—
Keith Ferrazzi,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Mama pats Rafa’s head then ruffles his hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
With its telltale cone shape, the northernmost of Sicily's Aeolian Islands is home to a volcano that puffs on a near-constant basis.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But The Bagel Nut Duo, chocolate croissants, yellow sheet cake, and a bag of Cacio e Pepe puffs to eat your feelings about yet another recall.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Most baseball fights produce a little shoving, occasional hugging, some dancing and pulled powderpuff punches.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
Three days before the first punches are set to be thrown at a White House-UFC event, the South Lawn is unrecognizable.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Domingo praises Spielberg as a collaborator.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
Half of the opinion piece praises the efforts and contributions of Uncle Lou, all of which are certainly laudable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strokes. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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