Synonyms of pokes

pokes 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of poke

1

as in jabs

a quick thrust

please stop giving the cat pokes while it's trying to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jabs
• punches
• digs
• pushes
• nudges
• sticks
• lunges
• shoves
• dabs
• stabs
• jerks
• jams
• jogs

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

• blows
• swipes
• punches
• slaps
• thumps
• hits
• thuds
• whacks
• knocks
• smacks
• strokes
• licks
• spanks
• pounds
• slams
• bangs
• beats
• claps
• clips
• hooks
• swats
• whaps
• kicks
• switches
• bops
• bashes
• hacks
• chops
• lashes
• thwacks
• raps
• biffs
• socks
• fillips
• pelts
• whams
• smashes
• hands
• plumps
• bats
• douses
• clouts
• dabs
• picks
• welts
• cracks
• stripes
• haymakers
• cuffs
• belts
• lickings
• wallops
• slugs
• buffets
• knees
• stingers
• swings
• busts
• boxes
• whops
• larrups
• beatings
• counterpunches
• counter-blows
• counters
• shivers
• counter-strokes
• lefts
• counterstrokes
• whips
• counterblows
• rabbit punches
• sucker punches
• body blows
• uppercuts
• roundhouses
• batterings
• thrashings
• rights
• KOs
• knockdowns
• whippings
• pastings
• crunchers
• sidewinders
• drubbings
• right-handers
• bastinadoes
• kayos
• knockouts
• one-twos
• wallopings
• bastinades

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

• insults
• offences
• sarcasms
• slaps
• outrages
• barbs
• digs
• indignities
• darts
• attacks
• slights
• disses
• slurs
• affronts
• epithets
• names
• brickbats
• girds
• offenses
• personalities
• taunts
• cuts
• jibes
• dises
• disgraces
• sneers
• criticisms
• mocks
• put-downs
• abuses
• gibes
• jeers
• swipes
• quips
• shames
• catcalls
• invectives
• knocks
• vituperations
• tortures
• disapprovals
• slams
• torments
• dishonors
• opprobriums

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compliments
• praises
• commendations
• accolades
• acclaim
• flatteries
• applauses
• adulations

pokes

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of poke, chiefly Southern & Midland

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

• pouches
• bags
• sacks
• backpacks
• packages
• packets
• bundles
• packs
• wallets
• traveling bags
• purses
• duffel bags
• tote bags
• portmanteaux
• carryalls
• pocketbooks
• shopping bags
• knapsacks
• totes
• satchels
• portmanteaus
• garment bags
• rucksacks
• haversacks
• barracks bags
• parcels
• handbags
• ditty bags
• work bags
• kit bags
• flight bags

pokes

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of poke

1

as in protrudes

to extend outward beyond a usual point

saw his head poking through the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protrudes
• bulges
• juts
• swells
• stands out
• pouts
• sticks out
• projects
• billows
• beetles
• overhangs
• pouches
• starts
• bellies
• bunches
• balloons
• bags
• extends
• stretches
• pooches
• inflates
• distends
• dilates
• lengthens
• expands
• domes
• mushrooms
• elongates
• snowballs
• blows up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shrinks
• contracts
• compresses
• condenses
• constricts

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

• interferes
• messes
• snoops
• intervenes
• pries
• intrudes
• obtrudes
• meddles
• noses
• intermeddles
• butts in
• interlopes
• invades
• encroaches
• intercedes
• mucks (about or around)
• interposes
• plays
• tampers
• fiddles
• fools
• infringes
• trespasses
• chisels (in)
• monkeys
• barges (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoids
• ignores
• shuns
• neglects
• eschews
• disregards
• overlooks

3

as in crawls

to move or act slowly

just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crawls
• drags
• lingers
• delays
• strolls
• creeps
• shuffles
• plays
• lags
• loiters
• diddles
• dawdles
• marks time
• hangs fire
• mopes
• falls behind
• stalls
• drops behind
• lollygags
• drags one's heels
• tarries
• dallies
• staggers
• lallygags
• lounges
• dillydallies
• saunters
• drags one's feet
• ambles
• idles
• takes one's time
• loafs
• inches
• shilly-shallies
• putters (around)
• potters (around)
• lolls
• fiddles (around)
• fools around
• eases
• hangs (around or out)
• decelerates
• trifles
• messes around
• lumbers
• monkeys (around)
• plods
• temporizes
• slows (down or up)
• procrastinates
• filibusters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushes
• rips
• runs
• flies
• tears
• scurries
• barrels
• courses
• hurries
• races
• dashes
• speeds
• scoots
• whirls
• whisks
• whizzes
• hastens
• zips
• careers
• bolts
• scrambles
• rockets
• darts
• hustles
• scuds
• runs
• humps
• hurtles
• bowls
• trots
• breezes
• jogs
• gallops
• stampedes
• sprints
• accelerates
• quickens
• hotfoots (it)
• speeds (up)
• outruns
• overtakes
• outpaces
• catches up
• outstrips
• fast-forwards

4

as in drags

to move slowly

they were just poking along home

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drags
• crawls
• creeps
• shuffles
• inches
• limps
• slouches
• oozes
• noses
• creaks (along)
• plods
• snails
• trudges
• lumbers
• tramps
• shambles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• races
• flies
• speeds
• floats
• glides
• sails
• tears
• whizzes
• zips
• hurries

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of pokes

Verb

On a damp and chilly day in mid-November, Ryan Hall pokes his nose into Sanders’ office to say hello. —Maurice Tamman, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024

This cute sweatshirt pokes fun at the sport’s quirky name with a watercolor print of two pickles playing pickleball. —Cai Cramer, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

In one scene, his head practically pokes into the rafters of a gymnasium. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

Loose threads that fly about vigorously in the wind decorate almost every garment, the inside lining often pokes out in random places, and cutoff sleeves are repositioned as dress pockets. —Denni Hu, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024

Ellen pokes her head out from behind a door as her friends grow impatient. —Scottie Andrew, CNN, 6 Oct. 2024

The logic sounds airtight until the market pokes holes in it. —John Walkup, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

Elsewhere in the promos, Thompson pokes fun at his long tenure. —Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019