1
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
you'd better shut up if you don't want a poke on the nose
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the constantly bickering husband and wife seem unable to let five minutes pass without an exchange of gratuitous pokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
chiefly Southern & Midland
as in pouch
a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic)
the old warning against buying a pig in a poke
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
told him to stop poking into other people's business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to crawl
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of poke
Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
At Scott’s Seafood Roundhouse, executive chef Nick Blessing’s raw bar menu features sampler platters with a pescatarian collage of poke, aguachile and shellfish.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 15 Sep. 2025
Using an awl, poke two holes in the bottom of mini pumpkins or gourds.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
The Parisian power-lunch spot has teamed up with Happier Grocery for an off-menu poke bowl that’s basically a flex in a compostable container.
—Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
At Scott’s Seafood Roundhouse, executive chef Nick Blessing’s raw bar menu features sampler platters with a pescatarian collage of poke, aguachile and shellfish.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Another claim cited a 2018 post from Robinson’s mother’s Facebook, which showed the future alleged assassin dressed in an adidas tracksuit and squatting — a popular, apolitical meme that blew up in the 2010s, poking fun at Eastern Europeans.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 15 Sep. 2025
Using an awl, poke two holes in the bottom of mini pumpkins or gourds.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
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This lore drop about the legendary warrior-chief is a withering tease for Kōnane, a once-ubiquitous pastime that was carved into stone slabs across the islands, some of which still protrude from the ground.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
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In the article, Sanderson reported the location of the ship, so that other sailors could steer clear of the protruding masts.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Grayson tried to interfere, but Penta laid waste to Big G.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Particle has also accused Epic of defaming the company and interfering in its business relations.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There’s tunnels to crawl through, regular live performances from Quixotic that synchronize with the experience, and a functioning 240-seat theater that plans to host film festivals.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Some coast with healthy double-digit conversion rates, while others crawl along at 5% or 6%.—
Jon Stojan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Any resulting court case within the Defense Department's own legal system could result in counter lawsuits, which could drag on for months.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Need to know Nvidia probe drags on.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The internet already messed her up pretty good.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The internet already messed her up pretty good.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The announcement, sparse on specific details, captured the trepidation and lingering ambivalences that AI companies have about policing young users, even as OpenAI begins to implement these basic features nearly three years after the launch of ChatGPT.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
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The performance was impacted by the lingering effects of operational challenges, delivery delays and store closures initiated last year.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The massive cuts to the program remain to be seen as prices continue to creep ever higher for beneficiaries.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Coachella hasn’t sold out since 2023, despite its release dates creeping earlier in the calendar each year.—
Arielle Gordon,
Pitchfork,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Its security staff had discovered Cobwebs, founded by former members of Israel’s elite cyber intel agencies, was using hundreds of accounts to snoop on Facebook and WhatsApp users, many of them activists, opposition politicians and government officials in Hong Kong and Mexico.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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As the cruel fates of the criminal underworld would have it, Jake gets a text from Mel alerting him to the very New York Magazine journalist in discussion snooping around the Black Rabbit kitchen.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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