as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
all it took was one hard stroke to knock the ball out of the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
the young mother gently stroked the sleeping child's brow and then leaned over and kissed him
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to massage
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stroke
Eric Wong, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Speaking with Variety as part of her cover feature for the Feb. 26 issue, the Oscar-winning actress reflected on surviving addiction and a stroke as well as accepting being left out of her late father Ryan O'Neal's will.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Hope the manipulative jerk can find the soft and tender Sugar Mama/Daddy/Couple that his gooey, marshmallow interior craves; someone to stroke his hair, call him a good and gifted boy, and put gold stars on his chart.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Noun
He’s finally found his outside stroke, shooting 14-of-27 from deep over his past three games.
—Eric Wong, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Speaking with Variety as part of her cover feature for the Feb. 26 issue, the Oscar-winning actress reflected on surviving addiction and a stroke as well as accepting being left out of her late father Ryan O'Neal's will.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
In the video, Linn holds Willow in her arms, scratches behind his ears and strokes his face.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Hope the manipulative jerk can find the soft and tender Sugar Mama/Daddy/Couple that his gooey, marshmallow interior craves; someone to stroke his hair, call him a good and gifted boy, and put gold stars on his chart.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
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Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid announced a huge KO injury blow which Cope - citing anonymous sources - expects to sideline the first team starting player in question for around two months.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Of course, Seidler likely didn’t envision the franchise would lose its local TV partner, dealing a financial blow.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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On Valentines Day, Rihanna sat with Mayers during another break, gently caressing his cheek while the couple sat on a courtroom bench, surrounded by beefy security guards.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
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Sultry music is played to set the tone while staff gently introduces attendees to pleasurable sensations—tracing soft touches along their thighs, caressing their décolleté with silky fur, or running fingers through their hair, as well as decorating them with flowers and crystals.—
Aubree Nichols,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Medieval cooks molded pork meatloaf to look like pea pods and massaged sweet almond paste into hedgehogs.—
Molly Young,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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Trump’s world is one where off-the-cuff statements can be massaged, and his telegenic cabinet overturn the paradigms of global security hourly, without major consequence.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Key Ingredients: Shea butter, avocado oil, orange peel wax Finish: Available in luminous or natural finishes Shades: 12 How to apply: Ilia keeps matters simple with its multi-stick: swipe, blend, and go.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
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Plus, every swipe, tap or click comes with valuable transaction-level data, providing businesses with powerful insights to fine-tune their strategies – such as how and when to pay suppliers.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Disinviting him would be the typical Canadian foreign policy move: feel good and pat yourself in the back but achieve nothing.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The two critics congratulated him, patting him amiably.—
Anelise Chen,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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From bulbous shoes with upturned vamps to pleated pants puffed away from the body, the collection’s doll-like garments took on a larger-than-life feel.—
Elizabeth Grace Coyne,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Most players on the list below are attacking wingers or centre-forwards, showing how much Bellingham, often viewed as a midfielder, has puffed his chest out to be the game-changer when his team require it.—
Mark Carey,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Still, despite how hip all the kids were, when the music picked up, the crowd had trouble syncing their bouncing to the thump of the beats—understandable because the StepTeam production style is based around sporadic bursts of rattling percussion with the wobbly rhythms of a mountain bike race.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
28 Feb. 2025
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For those who want a deeper and more resonant sound, there’s a bass boost button to add more thump to the beat.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Stafford walked up to the podium, congratulated the team on its season and expressed his sympathy to those families in attendance who had been impacted by the Eaton fire that roared through Pasadena in January.—
Adam Grosbard,
Orange County Register,
5 Mar. 2025
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Knight’s sympathetic response is interrupted when Rhonda (Kathy Searle), Briarwood's exuberant security guard, rolls up in her golf cart to congratulate the pair on getting back together.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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