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

Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes, and exposure to secondhand smoke puts people who don’t smoke at risk, too. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026 The rest of her Emmys look was soft and sweet, with delicate pink shades on her cheeks and lips and a few strokes of liner and mascara to define her blue eyes. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026 In a sport like boxing, that alone can have devastating effects even without reaching the extremes of serious loss of water, which can lead to heat strokes or, as with Farrell, bleeding on the brain because of the lack of cerebrospinal fluid. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 And with at least half a dozen members of Congress having had strokes in the past decade, the public should be demanding more thorough neuropsychiatric evaluation of its politicians after illness. — Michael P.h. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026 In the first year after diagnosis, adults with cancer experienced about 80 percent more strokes than expected based on general-population rates, according to the research team. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Clinical biomarkers and neuroimaging do not hold all the answers; many disorders—such as Alzheimer’s and some types of strokes—still require postmortem analysis for diagnostic confirmation. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Movies tend to work with bold strokes and colors, and absolute ideas; cinema is a popular medium, and both its power and its pitfalls come from its ability to simplify and underline. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026 The legendary Spanish marque disappeared from the motorcycle scene decades ago, leaving behind a trail of lightweight two-strokes, racing trophies and enough cult following to keep its name alive long after the factory doors had closed. — Bultaco, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 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

According to RevitaLash, apply a few swipes of the serum to clean lashes once per day.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
Their swipes at one another have escalated so much that the sitting president has threatened to take away O’Donnell’s citizenship.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 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

Like his wife, Andrew was also attacked with a hatchet, receiving as many as 11 blows to his face, leaving him nearly unrecognizable, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Abby was struck 19 times by a hatchet-like object, with several blows crushing through her skull.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of blows

Noun

Two blue and yellow humanoid robots attempted to beat each other up with punches twice as hard as Mike Tyson’s.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2026
For Villa, there were mitigating circumstances in this latest defeat by Glasner, yet the worry is they are still being caught with the same punches.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of punches

Verb

While Tarlov was grateful for his advice, her book praises current Fox News Chief Executive Suzanne Scott for creating a workplace culture that is much more hospitable to women.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
For all his obvious qualities in attack, Ruiz also praises Kvaratskhelia’s defensive work.

— Tom Burrows, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026