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
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Recent Examples of strokes
Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
That’s what makes strokes, which cut off blood and oxygen supply to parts of the brain, so devastating.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 13 May 2026
But the impression throughout is of a complex work of fiction distilled down to broad-strokes plot machinations, to the exclusion of meaningful character insight.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
These are gorgeously drawn in the style of pen and ink, with AJ’s pen strokes taking on the slick curves of the ocean waves.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Donald consulted with Mark Broadie, the Columbia Business School professor who developed the strokes gained statistic.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Conley's symptoms were the result of her suffering two mini strokes called Transient Ischemic Attacks (or TIAs).
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Fowler, who won the event here in 2012, finished second behind Kristopher Reitan, two strokes off the pace at 13-under 271.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026
Doctors and nurses became a constant presence in her life, especially as her fourth child, Travis, battled sickle cell disease, strokes and a long, uncertain recovery that once stripped him of the ability to walk or speak.
—Nancy Badertscher, AJC.com, 7 May 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
Higgo, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, was penalized two strokes for being late to his opening round tee time at Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday morning.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
That’s what makes strokes, which cut off blood and oxygen supply to parts of the brain, so devastating.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 13 May 2026
But the impression throughout is of a complex work of fiction distilled down to broad-strokes plot machinations, to the exclusion of meaningful character insight.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
These are gorgeously drawn in the style of pen and ink, with AJ’s pen strokes taking on the slick curves of the ocean waves.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Donald consulted with Mark Broadie, the Columbia Business School professor who developed the strokes gained statistic.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Conley's symptoms were the result of her suffering two mini strokes called Transient Ischemic Attacks (or TIAs).
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Fowler, who won the event here in 2012, finished second behind Kristopher Reitan, two strokes off the pace at 13-under 271.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026
Doctors and nurses became a constant presence in her life, especially as her fourth child, Travis, battled sickle cell disease, strokes and a long, uncertain recovery that once stripped him of the ability to walk or speak.
—Nancy Badertscher, AJC.com, 7 May 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
-
The gel formula swipes onto the lids without any skipping or tugging, giving you ample time to smudge, sculpt, or sharpen the line before the brand’s patented PermaLock Technology sets it into a waterproof, transfer-proof, and smudge-proof finish.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
10 May 2026
-
Double teams coming with violent swipes at the ball.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Also starring Jack Palance and Fritz Lang, the behind-the-scenes drama about the making of a movie begins with Bardot lying nude on a bed as her husband (Michel Piccoli) caresses and praises her body.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Dec. 2025
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
-
This incident also led to Eckert and Hellberg nearly coming to blows before being separated by the fourth official.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange blows, mainly in southern Lebanon, since a nominal ceasefire took hold last month.—
Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette stafffrom wire reports,
Arkansas Online,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Tuanzebe buries his head in Bakambu’s neck and pats his back repeatedly.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
But when Sandel saw more chimps appear, the primates did not reunite in their typical fashion of loud screaming, pats on the back and holding hands.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 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
-
In the lightweight division, Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) defeated Kenneth Cross (17-5) in the first round after landing a flurry of punches and dominating him early.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
There were more hugs after the fight between the two than punches landed, and, in total, far more time clocked during those hugs than the fight itself.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Smart chatter praises the trailer’s restraint, sound design and emotional cruelty more than gore, which is rare air for internet horror discourse.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Warkentin praises Stanton Optical for its innovative approach to eyecare and Stanton Optical returns the praise for its willingness to think outside the box.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strokes. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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