as in swipes
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
all it took was one hard stroke to knock the ball out of the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in caresses
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
the young mother gently stroked the sleeping child's brow and then leaned over and kissed him
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in massages
to praise too much
a politician with a special gift for stroking fat-cat donors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of strokes
Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
Extreme weather is fueling a rise in heart attacks and strokes, with heat waves and cold snaps contributing to the rise, according to new research reported by SWNS.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Fay was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane, which was reduced to four strokes after the case caused an international furor and intervention from then-US President Bill Clinton.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Then there was Letang, who has endured two strokes, heart surgery, chronic migraines, career-threatening neck surgery and an enormous amount of smaller injuries over his career.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
When buffing dry, switch to vertical strokes.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Clean the glass using horizontal strokes with your damp cloth.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
The location, gorgeous skyline view and broad strokes of the project offer plenty of intrigue — offer less to quibble with than, say, a Crossroads District plan that never moved past the to-be-determined stage of displacing local businesses.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Ochoa shoots a three-under 69 in the final round of the Ginn Open and beats rookie Yani Tseng by three strokes for her fifth victory in six starts.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.
—Kristine Hansen, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026
Research shows the risk of stroke also rises this time of year, and strokes present differently than heart attacks.
—Allison Aubrey, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
In the video, the cat eventually curls up in a ball and continues purring as Li strokes her head.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Start from the top of the door and pull the squeegee down in long, straight strokes to remove any remaining water and leave your glass door streak-free.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
Extreme weather is fueling a rise in heart attacks and strokes, with heat waves and cold snaps contributing to the rise, according to new research reported by SWNS.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Fay was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane, which was reduced to four strokes after the case caused an international furor and intervention from then-US President Bill Clinton.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Then there was Letang, who has endured two strokes, heart surgery, chronic migraines, career-threatening neck surgery and an enormous amount of smaller injuries over his career.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
When buffing dry, switch to vertical strokes.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Clean the glass using horizontal strokes with your damp cloth.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
The location, gorgeous skyline view and broad strokes of the project offer plenty of intrigue — offer less to quibble with than, say, a Crossroads District plan that never moved past the to-be-determined stage of displacing local businesses.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
Ochoa shoots a three-under 69 in the final round of the Ginn Open and beats rookie Yani Tseng by three strokes for her fifth victory in six starts.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.
—Kristine Hansen, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026
Research shows the risk of stroke also rises this time of year, and strokes present differently than heart attacks.
—Allison Aubrey, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025
In the video, the cat eventually curls up in a ball and continues purring as Li strokes her head.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Aug. 2025
In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strokes
Noun
-
With a lifelong love of the weight room and a good core of swipes, chops and bull rushes, Young offers a physical presence on both the interior and edge.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our interface makes intelligent use of swipes and gestures rather than tapping or dialing.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Also starring Jack Palance and Fritz Lang, the behind-the-scenes drama about the making of a movie begins with Bardot lying nude on a bed as her husband (Michel Piccoli) caresses and praises her body.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The center also has hydrotherapy chairs where athletes can lie as a jet of water, similar but much stronger than the jets in a jacuzzi, massages them.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Nov. 2025
-
In a viral video shared on Instagram last Sunday under the username @whiskeytoller, the gray kitty can be seen hanging around his brother, Oakley, as his mom massages the injured area, doing his best to show his love and support.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Russian military appears to be losing some ground in Ukraine, contrary to claims by Moscow’s top brass; Ukrainian strikes are delivering damaging blows to vital Russian oil and gas infrastructure; and drone strikes by Kyiv have disrupted life in the Russian capital before.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And Minnesota didn’t absorb or respond to the blows.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But when Sandel saw more chimps appear, the primates did not reunite in their typical fashion of loud screaming, pats on the back and holding hands.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
During the performance, the singer kneels down to hand Fox the award and pats his head before continuing on.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With its telltale cone shape, the northernmost of Sicily's Aeolian Islands is home to a volcano that puffs on a near-constant basis.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But The Bagel Nut Duo, chocolate croissants, yellow sheet cake, and a bag of Cacio e Pepe puffs to eat your feelings about yet another recall.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pitch invasions, punches thrown (allegedly) and promotion by a whisker in the 103rd minute.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Dallas and Minnesota throw punches from your weight class.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Margo's Got Money Troubles, Elle Fanning plays a promising first-year student at a California community college whose professor praises her work, has an affair with her, gets her pregnant, then ghosts her.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Parent praises bus driver Parents said that in the moments before the crash, the bus driver slowed down and began to pull over.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strokes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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