stoke

verb

ˈstōk 

stoked; stoking

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel

Synonyms of stoke

• increase
• accelerate
• expand
• boost
• augment
• raise

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

That uncertainty about what really happened — fueled, my family member said, by seeing numerous viral posts on X — was clearly shared and stoked by many people in the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026

The Federal Reserve can lower interest rates to boost activity, but that lever can also stoke inflation. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026

The Target dancing videos have stoked plenty of derision in particular. —Charles Trepany, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

White told reporters at his Halas Hall introduction that his on-field tenacity comes from rivalries with his brothers and dad that stoked his fire and gave him a cutthroat edge. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for stoke

• bloke
• boeck
• broke
• choke
• cloak
• cloke
• croak
• folk
• hoke
• joke
• moke
• oak

Kids Definition

stoke

verb

ˈstōk 

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

ˈstōk 

: 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