poke 1 of 3

noun (1)

Definition of pokenext
1
as in jab
a quick thrust please stop giving the cat pokes while it's trying to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

poke

2 of 3

noun (2)

ˈpōk How to pronounce poke (audio)
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

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poke

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point saw his head poking through the window

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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 linger
to move or act slowly just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to drag
to move slowly they were just poking along home

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of poke
Noun
Korem described menus that might include salmon, several chicken preparations and action stations serving items such as poke bowls. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Collection centers emphasize that the needle poke feels like nothing more than a brief pinch. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
To double-check that the corn is ready, use a sharp knife to poke the kernels. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026 Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
  1. jab
  2. blow
  3. insult
  4. pouch
  5. protrude
  6. interfere
  7. linger
  8. drag
Noun
  • Mayer had some early success with her jab, but Cameron increasingly took control as the fight progressed and landed the cleaner punches before hurting Mayer with a right hand in the eighth round.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In 2025, a Kentucky man was killed after he was hit 27 times with a GLOVE by jail employees, on top of 13 jabs from a taser, which ultimately sent him into cardiac arrest.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • If the aim, as stated, is to deal an economic blow to Iran, the fact is that the country is already under severe strain.
    — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The impact of yesterday’s sharp drop in South Korean equities transmitted further into US markets overnight, spreading selling sentiment and dealing heavy blows to US semiconductor and memory stocks.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • He was subsequently dismissed by Dior and, months later, found guilty by a French court of making public insults based on origin, religion, race, or ethnicity.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The arrest came after Kelley Wolf had reportedly made a series of hostile social media posts, which featured insults and allegations against various friends and family, including her ex-husband, Wolf.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • The backpack is also designed with a padded laptop sleeve, several pockets, and a detachable pouch for storing valuables or toiletries.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For the first time, Gallup asked about consumption of nicotine pouches, small sachets placed between the upper lip and gum that allow direct absorption of nicotine into the bloodstream.
    — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of pouch
Verb
  • Anything that protrudes above the shallow, insulating snow cover is more prone to being damaged by the cold and wind or eaten by wildlife, said plant ecologist Anne Bjorkman of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Other animals on-site include a stable full of horses and Cowboy the tortoise, who is about the size of a lawnmower and whose head protrudes from what looks like a Venus flytrap made of bone.
    — Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of protrude
Verb
  • Under the law, federal officers are prohibited from interfering in elections.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Collectively, these could interfere enough with normal processes to kill the cell.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of interfere
Verb
  • Patterson, who turns 27 on Tuesday, has experience at guard and center, and the 49ers needed a backup at both spots considering Toth’s lingering concussion symptoms.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Inside Fort Worth's Cowboy Coliseum, a historic 1908 indoor rodeo venue in the heart of the city's famous Stockyards, the gunpowdery smell of pyrotechnics lingers in the air.
    — Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • The playbook that drove the first $100 million starts to drag.
    — Doug May, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This occurs with minimal working capital drag, since fulfillment runs through pre-established pharmacy networks rather than capital-intensive durable equipment logistics.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of drag

Phrases Containing poke

Browse Nearby Words

poisons
poke
poke (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on poke

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poke

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