as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the poking pace of the repair work has put everything way behind schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messing
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 lingering
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dragging
to move slowly
they were just poking along home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poking
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 11 Feb. 2026
Unlike plastic wrap, which may require poking to release steam, parchment paper can also cover foods more loosely, allowing steam to escape naturally and preventing your food from becoming soggy.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
In a city willing to displace a community garden or a newsstand to claw back a few extra feet, the Armory’s yawning, epochal emptiness seems like poking through your medicine cabinet and finding an alternate universe behind it.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 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
Hooters waitresses Amanda Hall and Sarah Glynn became familiar faces online, dancing, joking and often poking fun at themselves.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Shorebirds and seagulls waded along a sandbar, poking their beaks into the sand to hunt for food.
—Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Ink decorates her hands and wrists, poking out from under the sleeves of her gray cashmere cardigan.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 11 Feb. 2026
Unlike plastic wrap, which may require poking to release steam, parchment paper can also cover foods more loosely, allowing steam to escape naturally and preventing your food from becoming soggy.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
In a city willing to displace a community garden or a newsstand to claw back a few extra feet, the Armory’s yawning, epochal emptiness seems like poking through your medicine cabinet and finding an alternate universe behind it.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 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
Hooters waitresses Amanda Hall and Sarah Glynn became familiar faces online, dancing, joking and often poking fun at themselves.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Shorebirds and seagulls waded along a sandbar, poking their beaks into the sand to hunt for food.
—Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Ink decorates her hands and wrists, poking out from under the sleeves of her gray cashmere cardigan.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking
Adjective
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That's because for many in Lahore, kite flying isn't a leisurely pastime.—
Betsy Joles,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
-
From leisurely barbecues to scenic boat rides, winter skiing to a ride on the thrilling summer mountain coaster, this lake is a hub of activity and Swiss charm.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Team Fluff's Twilight Barkle, a special needs dog with a protruding forehead from Hearts & Bones Rescue in Dallas, scored the game's final touchdown.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now Rob is messing with another one of Candiace’s friends, and Candiace is ready to blow up the whole turret over it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Genetic engineering took his fancy, but Hassan’s father didn’t like the idea of messing with God’s creation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 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
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Women generally receive fewer advanced therapies for PE, like thrombectomy (a procedure to pluck out a clot), and end up with more bleeding complications and a higher rate of lingering issues, like clumps of scar tissue in arteries that can increase blood pressure.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s dragging his own name and America’s name in the muck.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Their misery was compounded by Szoboszlai’s dismissal for dragging back Erling Haaland deep into stoppage time when the net was gaping, with goalkeeper Alisson marooned upfield.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.—
Abha Bhattarai,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
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Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Her job is to oversee the work of the intelligence agencies outward focusing on foreign threats, not to create a threat to our domestic tranquility by interfering in elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To save energy and prevent overheating, there’s a handy power button on top to easily turn the system on and off without crawling beneath your desk to access the wall outlet.—
Kelsey Borovinsky,
Architectural Digest,
9 Feb. 2026
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Our March trip coincided with the birthing season, and as a result the place was crawling with baby animals.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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