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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of stroke
Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
According to his wife, performance artist Esther Ferrer, Johnson had a stroke following long-term emphysema last Tuesday, December 31, at his home in Paris, France.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 6 Jan. 2025
Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
Beyond stroking Trump’s ego, Sunday’s display of dominance in one of the bluest places in America seemed designed to create a sense of inevitability around a Republican restoration.
—Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stroke 
Noun
One Capitol Police officer died of a stroke a day after suffering injuries on Jan. 6, and four others died by suicide in the days and months after.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
According to his wife, performance artist Esther Ferrer, Johnson had a stroke following long-term emphysema last Tuesday, December 31, at his home in Paris, France.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
Captain Son Heung-min, deputising for Dominic Solanke as the striker, doubled the lead 11 minutes later by dispossessing the dozing Jordan Pickford and stroking home inside the box.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
Beyond stroking Trump’s ego, Sunday’s display of dominance in one of the bluest places in America seemed designed to create a sense of inevitability around a Republican restoration.
—Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stroke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stroke
Noun
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As such, this will likely be a blow because the country accounted for 50% of global oil demand growth between 2000 and 2023, averaging an annual increase of 518,000 bpd, according to the Energy Institute's 2024 Statistical Review of World Energy.Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Initially, the potential loss of that would be a pretty big blow.Jason Parham, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Dan Sheldon Golf: A hole-in-one There’s no greater satisfaction in sport than carefully caressing a little white ball into a slightly larger hole in the ground with a metal stick.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
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The soil caressed my bare feet, and the dust was always boiling up from the dirt road that passed 50 feet from our front door.Philip Martin, arkansasonline.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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From there, unlike in Sacramento, the Heat massaged the lead to the finish.Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025
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Her process begins with massaging the face using tools like microcurrents, rollers and gua sha to rejuvenate the skin.Ryma Chikhoune, WWD, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Chinese regulators have announced an investigation into the American computer chip company Nvidia, banned the export of rare minerals to the United States and taken more targeted swipes at individual companies to expose their supply chain vulnerabilities.Alexandra Stevenson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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The algorithm on her For You page mostly served up influencers peddling things related to her personal interests—beauty products, Bible verses—but every few swipes a different kind of video appeared.Jordan Salama, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The structure is still the bits-and-pieces-flow-of-events unfolding over the course of numerous episodes that apparently repelled viewers accustomed to pat network formulas.Gail Williams, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
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He was seen in good spirits leaving the floor, shaking hands with supporters and patting them on the back.Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Dark gray smoke puffed into the sky behind him as Tiptoe the African sulcata tortoise crunched on the green lawn beneath him.Alina Hartounian, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
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Gong Yoo makes the Recruiter a figure of unchecked force in this scene, puffed up on memories of his past slaughters and still covered in the remains of his last victim, and his reactions provide this The Deer Hunter-evoking final round of Russian roulette its grotesque power.Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Families fall asleep to the thump of nearby airstrikes and the constant whine of an Israeli drone overhead.Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2024
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The Vigor has flat seams and enough stretch to move comfortably while bending over or reaching up, while thump loops make for easy layering on frigid days.Emily Pennington, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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One notable reaction however was from Strong’s Armageddon Time co-star Hathaway who took to Instagram to joke about Strong’s look while congratulating him on his nomination.Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
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Vance shook the hands of Republicans congratulating him, with some members stopping him for photos.Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near stroke
Cite this Entry
“Stroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stroke. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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