as in blow
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
Relevance
1
as in to caress
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
2
as in to massage
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 stroke
Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
This brilliant stroke moved the action away from the regions in which the rebels enjoyed the most support and allowed tempers to cool.
—Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2024
She was forced to do immersive therapy, which required her to stroke the animals for hours at a time, and now the 41-year-old is a proud #ChildlessCatLady.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stroke 
Noun
Their incidences of cardiovascular disease –– including strokes, heart attacks and heart failures–– were collected from the national health registers through 2019, according to the study.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
This brilliant stroke moved the action away from the regions in which the rebels enjoyed the most support and allowed tempers to cool.
—Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
Barrymore then placed her hand on Stewart and began stroking her back.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2024
She was forced to do immersive therapy, which required her to stroke the animals for hours at a time, and now the 41-year-old is a proud #ChildlessCatLady.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
-
But Manchin raced across town from a previous engagement to deliver the fatal blow, 50-49.Axios, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024
-
The Kremlin will fight to retain influence in Syria but the loss of its client state deals another blow to Putin.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Sophia Bush’s Cass is back in the picture after that surprise kiss with Teddy, making Owen jealous by casually caressing Teddy’s arm in the elevator.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
-
Its 570 pages, written by hand, have been carefully sorted and caressed to life in a way that few modern books are.Joe Sills, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Creams and serums: Add rice water to a base ingredient, such as coconut oil, and massage it into your skin, or add rice water to a favorite moisturizer or serum.Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 10 Dec. 2024
-
This Repair and Shine Hair Brush has an olive wood handle and boar hair bristles that impart shine and massage the scalp.Adam Mansuroglu, WWD, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Celebrations last year in Shanghai were marked by huge crowds and revelers using the holiday to take tongue-in-cheek swipes at China’s strict Covid lockdowns and lackluster economy.Chris Lau, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
-
At present, credit card providers receive a roughly 2 percent fee on each card purchase, and the swipe fee pays credit card companies for the processing and financing of transactions, fraud prevention on those transactions, along with rewards programs for users of the cards.John Tamny, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Then pat them dry (rinse first, if salted), and crisp them in a splash of oil to create a textural topping for roasted vegetables or a bowl of soup.Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 16 Dec. 2024
-
To freeze fresh herbs, wash and drain them, pat them dry with paper towels, and wrap a few sprigs or leaves in freezer wrap.Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The mixture will puff, rise, and caramelize, setting into a freshly baked cake with some donut pieces still prevalent.Elise Taylor, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2024
-
Bake casserole: Bake until cheese is melted and egg mixture is puffed, about 30 minutes.Julia Levy, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The White Sox have a major need for power hitting as Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada are gone and Andrew Vaughn appears to have misplaced his thump.Phil Rogers, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
-
Ariel remembered telling Maricela to hurry and then feeling a whoosh and hearing a thump behind him.Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
In response, the city's official Facebook page posted a statement congratulating Vance on Wednesday.Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 5 Dec. 2024
-
To seal the night, a sky-high Principessa cake illuminated with sparklers made the rounds, as revelers congratulated the brand’s team and soaked in the festive atmosphere.Vogue, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near stroke
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share