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

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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

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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

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 This causes the arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow, creating blood clots and leading to heart attacks and strokes. —

Charles Trepany, USA Today, 6 May 2026 Chinese officials themselves have for weeks called for ceasefire and positioned Beijing as a potential peace broker, including with Xi releasing a broad-strokes, four-point proposal for Middle East peace last month. —

Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026 The Western Pennsylvania Golf Association said Green's round of 65, which featured seven birdies and just one bogey, topped the previous course record at Shannopin by two strokes. —

Mike Darnay, CBS News, 6 May 2026 Quail Hollow has tough green complexes and English has gained strokes chipping in four of his appearances there and with his putter in six straight. —

Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026 Leading the charge was Gia Ahlowalia, who shot 4 strokes over par to take a fifth-place finish. —

Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 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

Instead of Paris this time, the film jets off to another fabulous destination besides New York — Milan — for a huge fashion expo where Lady Gaga gets to perform and even exchange swipes with Miranda.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
With a lifelong love of the weight room and a good core of swipes, chops and bull rushes, Young offers a physical presence on both the interior and edge.

— Matt Moret, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026