stoke

verb

stoked; stoking
Synonyms of stokenext

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

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
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The machines in Masterbuilt’s Gravity Series also use a fan to stoke or dampen a fire and offer great temperature control within a wide range—between 225℉ and 700℉. Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 The discovery, meant to stoke doubts about the authenticity of Freddy’s wonderment at basic aspects of American life, soon led to a more damaging one. Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 Meanwhile, explosive growth in the military economy and stimulus spending on infrastructure and social benefits helped Russian households stay afloat, despite stoking inflation. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026 The political backlash to the shooting at Bondi can be seen as a product of fear stoked by the attack, of course, but beneath that a deeper anxiety about the transformations occurring in Australian society can be detected. Oscar Schwartz, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stoke

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoke was in 1683

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoke. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

stoke

verb
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
: 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

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