POKING Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

poking 1 of 2

adjective

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

poking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of poke

as in protruding

to extend outward beyond a usual point saw his head poking through the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in lingering

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Verb

Carrington has previously garnered controversy for poking Cunningham's teammate Caitlin Clark in the eye during the 2024 playoffs, and making controversial statements in the media. — Jackson Thompson , Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 Carpenter suggests applying it to vertical surfaces, or using soaked cotton balls in open glass jars (or poking holes in the lids to allow the fumes to escape). — The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026 But in reality, as scientists started poking large enough collections of data, there were regular hints of some strange ancestry in our genomes. — ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 On the scale of poking the bear, mocking Buc-ees in defense of other regional convenience store chains is low risk. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026 We were probably doomed to have a good portion of the population poking whatever holes there were to find in James’ decision. — Dan Woike, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The family dog, named by local media as Rocky, was found alive after one of the rescuers spotted his tail poking out of the rubble. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 On that day, Simpson and other players are accused of kicking and stomping the victim and again poking him with a broomstick. — Joe Brandt, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking

Adjective

Some dialogues seem leisurely and inconsequential, while some major revelations are over in seconds.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
Isbell’s lyrics unfold in that long, leisurely way that the hottest months of the year do, recounting unhurried gatherings of friends and family.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of leisurely

Verb

Tap the Cleaning Path Preferences tab to choose between Full Coverage Mode, which provides the most thorough cleaning coverage for square and rectangular pools, and Edge Guard Mode, designed for pools with protruding edges (coping).

— John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
At first, 17-year-old Khloe Aguiar didn’t want to climb the over 100-foot ladder protruding out of the fire truck.

— Julianna Mejia July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Definition of protruding

Verb

In astrology, Venus governs love, pleasure, money, relationships and values, while Pluto exposes what’s lingering beneath the surface.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Any lingering hope that Netanyahu could be convinced to take part in such an endeavor now looks for the birds.

— Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingering

Adjective

Researchers used the device to process time-series data, including signals that contained both rapid and slow changes.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2026
However, there is another, slower and more insidious evacuation taking place, and that is the steady migration from rural areas all around the world to burgeoning cities, which now host more than half the world’s population.

— John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of slow

Verb

Tests on Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, Unitree’s G1 and Boston Dynamics’ Spot showed the robots could perform crawling, cartwheels, handstands, soccer kicks and other complex movements across different robotic body types.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile in Broward County, a restaurant had two dozen live roaches inside the dishwasher, under a food warmer and chest freezer, and crawling on a wall.

— Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawling

Cite this Entry

Style

“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of poking

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on poking

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes