1
2
as in blows
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 insults
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
as in pouches
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 protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in interferes
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 drags
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pokes
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Then in the second, Mattias Samuelsson was allowed to take multiple pokes at Jeremy Swayman before Geekie clobbered him.
—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Privacy may struggle within a buzzing neighborhood as the Sun in your contemplative 12th house pokes indulgent Jupiter in your 3rd House of Messages.
—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Pepsi has for decades taken pokes at rival Coke in an endless array of commercials, but this time, the youth-skewing cola company really means business.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
A lot of times, these hot-button issues that are pressed, those little pokes, are more nuanced than they’re portrayed.
—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Jan. 2026
In the hands of the right provider, filler can enhance and even transform your face with just a few strategic pokes.
—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
11 Nov. 2025
There weren’t any needles, pokes, or prods involved, just a simple applicator patch that stuck to the side of my stomach to help the machine navigate where to output the energy.
—
Essence,
24 Sep. 2025
The rooftop pool and open-late bars draw a youngish crowd—lots of millennials with stick-and-pokes—of couples and friends, and absolutely zero kids (though the property is dog- and cat- friendly).
—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.
—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
The self-aware series pokes fun at the teenage superhero subgenre, toying with the way superpowers interfere with daily life.
—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 June 2026
Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.
—
Kendrick Calfee
june 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
—
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.
—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
My daughter, Brigid, the oldest of the girls, pokes her head out of the kitchen.
—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
If your everyday bra is worn out, replace it with this scalloped bra that provides padded support — without uncomfortable underwire that digs and pokes.
—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Then in the second, Mattias Samuelsson was allowed to take multiple pokes at Jeremy Swayman before Geekie clobbered him.
—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Privacy may struggle within a buzzing neighborhood as the Sun in your contemplative 12th house pokes indulgent Jupiter in your 3rd House of Messages.
—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Pepsi has for decades taken pokes at rival Coke in an endless array of commercials, but this time, the youth-skewing cola company really means business.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
A lot of times, these hot-button issues that are pressed, those little pokes, are more nuanced than they’re portrayed.
—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Jan. 2026
In the hands of the right provider, filler can enhance and even transform your face with just a few strategic pokes.
—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
11 Nov. 2025
There weren’t any needles, pokes, or prods involved, just a simple applicator patch that stuck to the side of my stomach to help the machine navigate where to output the energy.
—
Essence,
24 Sep. 2025
The rooftop pool and open-late bars draw a youngish crowd—lots of millennials with stick-and-pokes—of couples and friends, and absolutely zero kids (though the property is dog- and cat- friendly).
—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
The second is a vent which pokes out above your clothes, to move warm air away from you.
—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.
—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
The self-aware series pokes fun at the teenage superhero subgenre, toying with the way superpowers interfere with daily life.
—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 June 2026
Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.
—
Kendrick Calfee
june 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
—
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.
—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
My daughter, Brigid, the oldest of the girls, pokes her head out of the kitchen.
—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pokes
Noun
-
Thankfully, there are self-aware jabs as well, and it’s all couched in a character- and ensemble-centric ending that has hearty portions that help the random sour bite go down smoothly.
-
Weight-loss jabs are the latest craze for shedding a few pounds.
Noun
-
Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.
-
Despite the blows to Eurovision’s finances and viewership from the boycott, the contest is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.
Noun
-
According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
-
Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Noun
-
For more of the best beach day essentials, check out portable coolers, beach totes, umbrellas, games, phone pouches, and more below.
-
Recommended Health news Health newsAre ZYN nicotine pouches safer than smoking?
Verb
-
These are more likely to cause painless rectal bleeding or tissue that protrudes during a bowel movement.
-
Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.
Verb
-
Here’s when to watch and how to catch the best views before bright moonlight interferes.
-
If Damascus interferes in Lebanon, sectarian violence could follow, as the Syrian military presence would likely be interpreted as direct opposition to Hezbollah’s Shiite fighters.
Verb
-
Stanford research on more than 100,000 developers found that teams often feel quicker with AI early on, while at the same time racking up technical debt that drags on them later.
-
Frieson then appears, drags her by the arm, and closes the door.
Verb
-
Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds.
-
At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.
Cite this Entry
“Pokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pokes. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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