stoked; stoking
1
: to poke or stir up (a fire, flames, etc.) : supply with fuel
2
: to feed abundantly
3
: to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of
limiting the number of cars available … will help stoke demand for the car—
Keith Naughton
Keith Naughton
: to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel
Examples of stoke in a Sentence
The engineer stoked the coals.
The new ad campaign has helped to stoke sales.
Poor revenue figures have stoked concerns about possible layoffs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s sweeping and steep tariffs and other policy shifts have stoked recession fears and sent sentiment readings south every month this year.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
The announcement of a staggering 50% levy on those imports has stoked fear that big-ticket purchases from cars to washing machines to houses could see major price increases.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025
The march frequently stokes tension as ultranationalist Jews stream into Palestinian areas of Jerusalem’s walled Old City en-route to the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s most sacred sites, which abuts the mosque compound.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 May 2025
The move triggered a temporary Dow Jones crash and stoked fears of rising inflation and an impending recession, causing his approval numbers to sink across the board.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stoke
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
The announcement of a staggering 50% levy on those imports has stoked fear that big-ticket purchases from cars to washing machines to houses could see major price increases.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025
The march frequently stokes tension as ultranationalist Jews stream into Palestinian areas of Jerusalem’s walled Old City en-route to the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s most sacred sites, which abuts the mosque compound.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 May 2025
The move triggered a temporary Dow Jones crash and stoked fears of rising inflation and an impending recession, causing his approval numbers to sink across the board.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stoke
Cite this Entry
“Stoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoke. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stoke
verb
stoked; stoking
1
: to stir up or tend (as a fire)
2
: to supply (as a furnace) with fuel
3
: to feed plentifully
stoker
noun
Medical Definition
stoke
noun
: the cgs unit of kinematic viscosity being that of a fluid which has a viscosity of one poise and a density of one gram per cubic centimeter
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share