STROKING Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

stroking

verb

present participle of stroke

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

Relevance

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

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 stroking There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head. — Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026 Alongside Cruise feeding and stroking his dying cat while walking around his mansion with his gut hanging out, there are shots of planes readying for battle and collapsing polar ice caps. — Brent Lang, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026 Two-year-old Lily Capasso stopped by, stroking a small paint brush on the starting line – a sign that the world’s most iconic marathon is for everyone, no matter their age. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026 Elton John doing a handstand on his keyboard, Roger Daltrey stroking a microphone, Ian Anderson making the flute somehow look cool — his pictures became a means of connection for fans. — David Di Sabatino, SPIN, 3 Apr. 2026 At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026 She was later reunited with her dog, stroking him in stunned silence before being taken to the hospital. — Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026 At one point Eliot entered the TV room and found Abby with her head on Claire’s lap, Claire stroking her hair. — Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025 At first, wishes were made on the unbroken bones of the furcula by gently stroking them. — Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroking

Verb

In one video, pop singer Madison Beer was seen caressing Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's face as if the two were shooting a scene straight out of a reality show.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
In the snap, Portman, who’s expecting her third baby, her first with partner Tanguy Destable, could be seen standing in front of an apartment balcony in an oversized blue button-down, caressing her stomach.

— Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026

Definition of caressing

Verb

Another picture in the post shows Justin patting Phin on the head as the pair walk together on a golf course, sporting matching golf bags.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Drake also used the opening portion of the stream to reflect on his recent releases, patting himself on the back a little for dropping three projects at once.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of patting

Verb

Carlson praising a member of the Democratic Party is more threatening to Vance than Carlson praising an apologist for the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
The video of the confrontation has drawn more than 64,000 likes, with many commenters praising Opperman as a small-town hero.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of praising

Verb

One week after his aunt Yolanda died under the rubble of her apartment building, Alejandro Marquina discovered an Instagram message from her, congratulating him on a recent work accomplishment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Notably, in a tweet congratulating Jensen on the deal, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora echoed the importance of balancing open source and open weights with frontier LLMs.

— , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of congratulating

Verb

But the design quickly sparked backlash and support online, with some applauding the farm's call for civil discourse and others questioning why Kirk was chosen as the face of one of the attraction's biggest annual draws.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Chelsea supporters at Craven Cottage responded by applauding Fernandez and singing his name.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of applauding

Verb

Throughout Thursday’s ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid compared Meta and its suite of apps to a factory — and its harm to puffing toxins into the air.

— Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
The sight of a dough puffing, cheese oozing out its side, becoming browned and crispy…who cannot be swayed?

— Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 July 2026