1
as in caressing
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
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2
as in massaging
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 stroking
According to the pages labeled as court exhibits, Priscilla rushed to her daughter’s bedside and was holding her hand, stroking her face, and telling her she was loved as family members gathered.
—
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.
—Peter Boyd, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
In the black-and-white video, Kelly could be seen holding his baby's hand, stroking her fingers.
—Sarah Jones, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Too long submerged in suppressed grief, Zilpha now came up from its depth like any swimmer stroking toward light and sweet air.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.
—Peter Boyd, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
In the black-and-white video, Kelly could be seen holding his baby's hand, stroking her fingers.
—Sarah Jones, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Too long submerged in suppressed grief, Zilpha now came up from its depth like any swimmer stroking toward light and sweet air.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroking
Verb
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The Young Pope star was seen caressing Coan’s back and whispering in her ear.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The singer was spotted in pictures shared to social media, gently caressing the baby bump of his romantic partner.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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Create some suspense and anticipation by going in slowly, starting with the head and just massaging it slightly with the tip of your tongue.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
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Certainly not once the front and rear heated seats and front massaging seats are powered on.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Keep your greens crisp by draining, rinsing, and patting them dry before using.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
2 Sep. 2025
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At times, its puzzle-solving and chaotic arcade shooting felt like patting your head while rubbing your stomach.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In fact, constantly praising your Gen Z employees can become impractical and downright exhausting.—
Colleen Batchelder,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The museum was beloved by locals, who left online reviews praising the staff's work and their warm welcome.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead, Murphy drafted a resolution commending the students’ efforts and shared it with them.—
Teri Cadeau,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Moments earlier, a video had played featuring many of her former teammates, San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas, and her husband Servando Carrasco with their children, congratulating her on a storied career.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Sep. 2025
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Please join me in congratulating Michael on his new role.—
TIME PR,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While Nadella and the executive team are taking criticism from some staffers, Wall Street is applauding the company's growth and execution.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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Their powerful performances prompted a 15-minute standing ovation, and the wrestler-turned-actor was seen tearfully applauding.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This method of deep fueling is more effective at raising the plasma’s core density compared to puffing gas from the vessel’s edge.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Aug. 2025
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And that’s stirred up more discussions about getting labia puffing or labiaplasty to deal with these effects.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroking. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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