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

After shooting 70, Koepka was 3-under for the tournament, which gave him a T67 finish and put him 19 strokes behind the winner, Michael Brennan. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Beginning Thursday, the Fort Worth Fire Department has been diverting ambulances carrying patients with trauma, strokes and STEMI heart attacks to other hospitals, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026 Adams says there is promising research that suggests that hormone therapy, when taken before age 60 or within 10 years since menopause, might help prevent atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. — Mara Gordon, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026 None of the participants had signs of vascular cognitive impairment, a condition linked to strokes and small-vessel disease. — Lily Alvino, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 Its venom can trigger internal bleeding, neurological problems, acute kidney injury, and strokes. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 Around them, the sand and sky are painted so thinly that the weave of the canvas shows through; the shoreline is scumbled; the distant boats are a few strokes of wet on wet paint. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 The claims, for which Homeland Security spent $96 million, show detainees were treated for a wide variety of conditions, including strokes, pregnancy, suicide attempts and frostbite. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 The goal is to focus on gaps in the capital markets—problems without a for-profit solution yet—and there hasn’t been enough investment in helping people deal with traumatic brain injuries or strokes. — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 5 Aug. 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 Los Angeles metropolitan area and other big California population centers are below the national average in office attendance, according to Kastle Systems, which tracks badge swipes.

— Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Using gestures and swipes on a traditional slab-style phone always felt cramped and imprecise when trying to pull off quick maneuvers.

— Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 24 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

Verb

In police body camera footage, which Feder shared with WCCO, Feder gets out with his hands up and an officer pats him down.

— Ashley Grams, CBS News, 12 July 2026
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

Definition of pats

Noun

Jade Cargill and Lash Legend faced off as US Bank Stadium cheered, but Green and Stratton broke it up and neutralized the Black amazons with 10-count punches.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
There were no punches thrown, just heated discussion about the result.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026

Definition of punches

Verb

Our modern Western culture praises thinness and stigmatizes those in larger bodies.

— Oona Hanson, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Director David Wain, who co-wrote the comedy with Marino, his longtime creative partner and college buddy from NYU, praises his pal’s wacky comedic skills.

— Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026