1
2
as in blow
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 insult
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
chiefly Southern & Midland
as in pouch
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 to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to interfere
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 to crawl
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poke
Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
With the right toe poke, the forward found the back of the net for the game’s lone goal.
—Asli Pelit, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 5 July 2025
The channel presents videos of Adams traveling to various country clubs and using Jewish cliches to poke fun at golf’s historic exclusion of Jews.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
His offerings are peppered with humor, double entendres, sports mockery, and the occasional poke at politicians and political events.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
With the right toe poke, the forward found the back of the net for the game’s lone goal.
—Asli Pelit, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
The absence of lobster traps and not being poked and prodded by divers armed with snares, tickle sticks and nets for nearly four months usually results in an abundance of bugs, a term that refers to the insect-like appearance of lobsters.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 5 July 2025
The channel presents videos of Adams traveling to various country clubs and using Jewish cliches to poke fun at golf’s historic exclusion of Jews.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
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Nearby, police found another pitbull, Lucky, in a wet kennel that was bound shut with five leashes, her hip bones protruding.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
-
Their feet protrude, white and enormous, from their grey-green uniforms like tree-branches from which the bark has been stripped.—
Thomas Meaney,
New Yorker,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Analysts also see Trump’s attempt to interfere in the country’s domestic affairs as a potential backfire for Bolsonaro during his trial and a push for Lula, whose reelection bid was facing unpopularity headwinds this year.—
Mauricio Savarese,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
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May's character was completely devoted to Storm, often interfering in her matches and mimicking her every move.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
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In particular, website owners and SEO experts wanted to know how Cloudflare planned to block Google's bot from scraping sites to fuel AI overviews without risking blocking the same bot from crawling for valuable search engine placements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
-
Both are unable, under any circumstances, to resist crawling under someone doing a downward-facing dog.—
Erika Sjule,
New Yorker,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
That’s good for everyone, even expat journalists dragging their kids along to cover a new story.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The plucky little superdog drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is treated by a posse of robots.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
But the bone-dry cabin air and the altitude can really mess things up.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
-
Trim overhanging limbs and relocate furniture to avoid popular bird perches that drop messes onto your patio.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2025
Verb
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But there are still lingering worries about how long Amazon and Apple will keep movies in theaters before sending them to streaming.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
9 July 2025
-
This slight chance of thunderstorms lingers into Wednesday as the upper low passes over the region.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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This trend that fuses sensuality, rebellion, and urban style has crept into the closets of celebrities, influencers, and fashion experts alike.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
4 July 2025
-
In contrast, PepsiCo’s stock has shown minimal movement, creeping up only about 4% from $130 to $135 during the same timeframe.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Those drones have been flying without authorities first getting a warrant and Schmitz is not the only resident who has been snooped on.—
Andrew Wimer,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
However, law enforcement is not above snooping on cell phones, and their tactics are usually much harder to detect.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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