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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Gary Player wins the British Open by two strokes over Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 Street style trends manifested in broad strokes over the last few sweltering days—sure, floral predominated, for example, but some were printed, while others were appliqued and rich with dimensional tactility. — Irene Kim, Vogue, 10 July 2026 Clark ranked 12th in strokes gained around the green and had a hot putter when the pressure was high. — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 To get started, adjust the handle to a comfortable height for the job, and work across the ceiling in long, overlapping strokes. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 9 July 2026 The syndrome has been linked to migraines or traced to incidents of mini-seizures or strokes. — David K. Li, NBC news, 8 July 2026 His three-round total of even-par 216 put him 18 strokes behind England’s Kipp Popert, who captured his fourth straight title after blistering the 6,421-yard South Course by composing a 9-under 63 for a 198-shot total. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2026 Pare takes Xarelto, a blood thinner that reduces his risk of strokes, blood clots, and pulmonary embolism. — Susan Jaffe, NPR, 6 July 2026 The second grader, from Avon Lake, Ohio, has survived a rare congenital heart condition, two open-heart surgeries and two strokes, according to Cleveland Clinic. — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 6 July 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

Think of it like a team of pickpockets, one of which walks up to ask you for directions while the other swipes your wallet.

— Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 10 July 2026
Make careful vertical swipes, run the vegetable peeler down the sides of the fruit, following its curves to trim closely between the skin and the flesh.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 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

Holloway, even a Holloway who is nearing the end of his career with a somewhat suspect chin and ability to absorb heavy blows, wins this fight more times than not.

— Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Rolling with the punches, though, is harder when the blows keep landing on the starting rotation.

— Jesús Cano, New York Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of blows

Verb

An active Sun puffs up Earth’s atmosphere, creating higher drag for satellites in low-Earth orbit.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 June 2026
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

Definition of puffs

Noun

But the Azteca started to change that, with that long second half rearguard, the deep 5-3-1, those endless headers and blocks and punches.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Still, no punches thrown from his direction on the way out, beyond the social-media trail that seemingly precipitated the Friday fracas with Adebayo.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2026

Definition of punches

Verb

Timothée Chalamet praises Denis Villeneuve at the #DunePartThree global Imax fan event.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 July 2026
The show is produced by V10 Entertainment, whom Reeves praises for playing a key role in helping to find sponsors and working closely with Moto America.

— Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026