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
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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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of poke
Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025
The new tree from Fancy Feast also comes with cat-safe decorations that can handle pokes from playful paws without breaking.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Escher Walcott, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Preciado delivered a low cross to the middle of the box to Alexander Garcia, who poked it past Southwest’s goalkeeper, giving Classical the 1-0 advantage right before the break.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Noun
For example, one of these receptors in your skin could be activated by the poke of a sharp object, the cold of an ice pack, the heat from a mug of cocoa, a chemical burn from household bleach, or a combination of all three kinds of stimulation.
—Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025
The new tree from Fancy Feast also comes with cat-safe decorations that can handle pokes from playful paws without breaking.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Verb
Myers' Musk and Johnson's Trump then spoke about recent government layoffs, poking fun at how the CEO is currently the head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Preciado delivered a low cross to the middle of the box to Alexander Garcia, who poked it past Southwest’s goalkeeper, giving Classical the 1-0 advantage right before the break.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
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In September 2024, suspect Ryan Routh, 59, was detained after Secret Service agents spotted a rifle protruding from a bush while Trump was playing on the golf course.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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Its most significant physical feature is a segmented tread protruding from its back, and extending to the front of its face.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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It was made clear that Zapata could not interfere in any way except for delivering a count or calling for the bell.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Five months after Donald Trump moved into the White House in 2017, a reporter asked Vladimir Putin about the allegations that Russia had interfered in U.S. elections.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In 1504, Christopher Columbus, on his fourth trans-Atlantic voyage, was stranded on the shores of Jamaica, with his ships crawling with marine worms and his crew hungry.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2025
-
If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacramento Bee,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But the 2013 peace process soon collapsed as tensions reignited, dragging Turkey and the PKK back into a bloody war and ending a two-year ceasefire.—
Eyad Kourdi,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
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The most illuminated of them, hatless and dragging, is followed by a marginally more active figure, the only one to acknowledge the viewer’s presence.—
Sarah C. Schaefer,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Leaving her alone all morning, and just when something decent is happening, messing it up.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
5 Mar. 2025
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European leaders have messed it up in the last three years.—
Peter Aitken,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While there are still many questions lingering about how California will bring its workforce back to primarily in-person work in the coming months, the impact on state workers’ telework stipend is clearly defined.—
William Melhado,
Sacramento Bee,
11 Mar. 2025
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Since dry goods can linger in kitchens long after a recall is announced, consumer awareness is even more key to avoiding potential health risks.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Still, Kansas hung around and even crept ahead 46-45 with just over 5 minutes remaining.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2025
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But, some teams are creeping closely behind with games in hand.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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After the United Kingdom demanded that Apple create a backdoor that would allow government officials globally to spy on encrypted data, Apple decided to simply turn off encryption services in the UK rather than risk exposing its customers to snooping.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
21 Feb. 2025
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But in the past, spyware attacks from other providers have been found snooping on phones belonging to politicians, government staffers, and human rights activists.—
Michael Kan,
PCMAG,
31 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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