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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to linger
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
Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots, highlighted by a successful poke-check on Jansen Harkins' penalty shot midway through the second.
—CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
The spot humorously centered on onboarding an alien monster, poking fun at HR challenges, and the promise of AI automation.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots, highlighted by a successful poke-check on Jansen Harkins’ penalty shot midway through the second.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots, highlighted by a successful poke-check on Jansen Harkins' penalty shot midway through the second.
—CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
The sports journalist, who split from Kelce in 2022, joined forces with Tiffany Haddish, Ben Simmons, and Offset in a Sleeper commercial that poked fun at the aftermath of calling it quits in the spotlight.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
The spot humorously centered on onboarding an alien monster, poking fun at HR challenges, and the promise of AI automation.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
-
Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
City officials in Reedley first raised concerns in December 2022 after a code enforcement officer noticed a green garden hose protruding from the warehouse.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Their goal with the video was to push back against the president’s domestic troop deployments, a trend his critics feared might lead to clashes with ordinary Americans or be used to interfere in upcoming elections.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Hong Kong officials have defended the independence of the local judicial system, which is separate from that of mainland China, and accused foreign governments of interfering in internal affairs.—
Jennifer Jett,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Experts point to restricted access to advanced chips and limited capital as lingering constraints.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Back in the Mexico City bar, as the game resumed and fans turned their attention back to the field, the excitement lingered.—
Martin Silva Rey,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Demanding papers, dragging away dissenters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Slave catchers could capture them, kidnap them and drag them back South.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Bulls can’t afford to mess the next nine weeks up — because Buzelis is the future in Chicago.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Whether antiques, cherished knickknacks, or heirlooms, items that are very delicate and/or precious to the customer are typically items house cleaners won’t want to mess with in order to cut down the risk of damaging them.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
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Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And if this keeps up, the Hornets have a legitimate chance to end the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, which is creeping in on a full decade.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Nerves about possibly missing the NCAA Tournament have crept back in among fans in College Station.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Harry suggested that information had come from eavesdropping on his phone calls or having private investigators snoop on him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Untrustworthy employees There have been cases where employees at security companies snooped through camera feeds.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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