stoke

verb

ˈstōk 

stoked; stoking

transitive verb

1

: to poke or stir up (a fire, flames, etc.) : supply with fuel

2

: to feed abundantly

3

: to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of

limiting the number of cars available … will help stoke demand for the car

—Keith Naughton

intransitive verb

: to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel

Synonyms

• accelerate
• add (to)
• aggrandize
• amplify
• augment
• boost
• build up
• compound
• enlarge
• escalate
• expand
• extend
• hype
• increase
• multiply
• pump up
• raise
• supersize
• swell
• up

Examples of stoke in a Sentence

The engineer stoked the coals.

The new ad campaign has helped to stoke sales.

Poor revenue figures have stoked concerns about possible layoffs.

Recent Examples on the Web

While Donald Trump has promised to lower the cost of living for Americans, factors beyond his control may bring prices higher and stoke up unhappiness among voters. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025

If anything, Trump’s bold moves on tariffs and immigration have stoked fears of an inflation restart. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

Elon Musk’s cost-cutting campaign has stoked fears about the data itself: that sensitive records might be mishandled, copied, leaked or lost. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025

Face-Off Trump wishes Team USA luck, stokes political tensions ahead of 4 Nations final vs. Canada What can the NHL learn from its 4 Nations rule experiments? —Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for stoke

• bloke
• boeck
• broke
• choke
• cloak
• cloke
• croak
• folk
• hoke
• joke
• moke
• oak

Kids Definition

stoke

verb

ˈstōk 

stoked; stoking

1

: to stir up or tend (as a fire)

2

: to supply (as a furnace) with fuel

3

: to feed plentifully

stoker noun

Medical Definition

stoke

noun

ˈstōk 

: the cgs unit of kinematic viscosity being that of a fluid which has a viscosity of one poise and a density of one gram per cubic centimeter