as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the poking pace of the repair work has put everything way behind schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messing
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 lingering
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dragging
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 poking
Marci Robin, Allure, 24 Apr. 2026
Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Most screens are lightweight but bend easily, so lift or slide them out gently to avoid warping the edges or poking holes in the mesh.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Similar to the actress’s blouse, this Amazon find has billowy long sleeves, a playful dotted print, and a tie neckline that adds extra fashion flair when poking out from under spring jackets and blazers.
—Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
For his part, Anderson possessed a wry sense of humor and wasn’t above poking fun at himself.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
This second season is once again poking at inertia and stasis and how romantic relationships can crumble into a series of self-destructive choices.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
France has one of the highest top income tax rates in the European Union and Briere’s treatment sparked a flurry of social media commentary in France, with some poking fun at the taxman’s pursuit of the government’s dues.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
During a 1999 interview with Jay Leno, Leno noticed a tattoo poking out of her sleeve.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Martha Stewart, however—perhaps the least likely superstar to do so—is poking holes in that fantasy, giving us an iconic new selfie that feels wildly relatable to anyone familiar with the mayhem of getting ready.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 24 Apr. 2026
Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Most screens are lightweight but bend easily, so lift or slide them out gently to avoid warping the edges or poking holes in the mesh.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Similar to the actress’s blouse, this Amazon find has billowy long sleeves, a playful dotted print, and a tie neckline that adds extra fashion flair when poking out from under spring jackets and blazers.
—Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
For his part, Anderson possessed a wry sense of humor and wasn’t above poking fun at himself.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
This second season is once again poking at inertia and stasis and how romantic relationships can crumble into a series of self-destructive choices.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
France has one of the highest top income tax rates in the European Union and Briere’s treatment sparked a flurry of social media commentary in France, with some poking fun at the taxman’s pursuit of the government’s dues.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
During a 1999 interview with Jay Leno, Leno noticed a tattoo poking out of her sleeve.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking
Adjective
-
Director Gay has sculpted a staging that is faithful to a more leisurely 19th-century storytelling style, yet satisfies modern audiences’ constant craving for stimulation.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Evenings brought cocktail hours, nightly presentations about the next day’s destination, and leisurely dinners, followed by time in the lounge.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The center point is perhaps what looks like a gigantic mountain with two 'spikes' protruding from its peak, like the antennae on an insect.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Her right hand gripped the scissors with the round finger holes embedded in her palm and the pointed end protruding from her fist.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Stop messing with Wedgie, already.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Why are people messing with those cute little robots?—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While coverage is expected to be more scattered, isolated strong to severe storms could still produce hail and gusty winds, particularly where daytime heating and lingering boundaries overlap.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The two men dined at a table alone, lingering long after all other diners had dispersed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sam instead proposes that the performer dance to it without music, a prompt that is followed by Anne Hathaway flinging herself across the room, dragging her body across the floor in a hypnotic spectacle that seems to convey struggle, possession, and loss of control.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Even the sleeker Samsonite Proxis feels substantial without dragging you over the limit.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
He is limited on passing downs and is more of a slow-burn pocket pusher than a man with a plan.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In some cases, lenders may cover the costs of buydown for you (either partially or in full), if the market is particularly slow.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Several legislative efforts are currently underway to keep the federal government from interfering in California elections.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The pattern of stripes shows that the photon’s two interfering paths are wave-like, also suggesting that a quantum particle behaves much like a wave.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Police said Morgan was seen crawling under a partially open garage door before jumping into a backyard pool.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Footage shared by Sky News showed the animal crawling up onto the eatery's counter.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
