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

Relevance
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

poke

3 of 3

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Cars that poke out too far and obstruct pedestrian pathways are technically in violation of federal law, Assistant City Attorney Lisa Flowers told the council. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026 So too were the buildings, including my hotel, which poked through the seven-foot-high snowbanks, looking like an ancient shipwreck covered in shifting sand. — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 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
  • To call them journalists would be an insult to the profession.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The exchange began when Pham criticized Myers over a play, leading to a heated back-and-forth online, with Pham eventually resorting to personal insults.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 23 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 multiday move lower in oil prices has also dragged bond yields lower.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Huskies ultimately won both ends of a home-and-home series, but the second game dragged perilously into overtime.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag

Phrases Containing poke

Browse Nearby Words

poisons
poke
poke (around)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on poke

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All