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

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poking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of poke
1
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point saw his head poking through the window

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2
as in messing
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern told him to stop poking into other people's business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lingering
to move or act slowly just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much

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

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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
If their edges are poking out from your ice sphere, your ice will melt and break apart faster. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2026 The post included a picture of a baby’s feet poking out from a blanket. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026 One guard holds each wrist, and another holds both of his thighs just above the knobby knees poking through his purple scrub pants. — Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026 Kansas City isn't much of a pedestrian city, but now, blue and green specks of fans dot the sidewalks, like wildflowers poking through a crack in the pavement. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026 Calderón, a big, bald man wearing a gold chain and cross-shaped earrings, sat off to the side, amid an entourage of muscular assistants in polo shirts, poking at his phone. — Will Freeman, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 In Labour circles, there is an old joke poking fun at Burnham’s chameleon-like ability to blend into whichever set of ideas is in vogue on the left at that moment in time. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 2026 The pillows are wrapped in breathable cotton covers with a 99 percent feather and 1 percent down fill that prevents the feather quills from poking through the cover. — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Indeed, when Orion disappears below the western horizon during spring evenings, the Scorpion is poking his head up in the southeast. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poking
  1. leisurely
  2. protruding
  3. messing
  4. lingering
  5. dragging
  6. slow
  7. interfering
  8. crawling
Adjective
  • Mondays have $5 martinis, mules and margaritas, Fridays and Saturdays are for boogying upstairs and the patio at Metro is an any-day spot for a leisurely drink or three.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 30 June 2026
  • That was when the lensman captured the social set at their leisurely and often strikingly dressed best.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 26 June 2026
Definition of leisurely
Verb
  • The apartment's one window, protruding from the zinc roof, faces west, putting it in direct sun from midday to dusk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
  • All door handles in the ward are metal levers flush with the door, rather than protruding, to prevent patients from using them as ligature points.
    — Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026
Definition of protruding
Verb
  • There was something a little therapeutic about messing it up.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 June 2026
  • No one can match her depth and passion to get vengeance on Krem of the Yellow Hills for messing with her family — a sentiment Cancers understand.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of messing
Verb
  • This season, our editors are savoring the activities that take us back to some of our favorite childhood days—jumping off docks, sliding down twisty pool slides, and lingering outside long into the evening.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
  • Any strange or lingering foot symptoms, though, could be a sign of a bigger health condition.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 3 July 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • Compounding concerns, California officials say the Department of Transportation is dragging its feet.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
  • One small habit that has helped me tremendously is dragging important emails directly into my calendar.
    — Michel Koopman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of dragging
Adjective
  • There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of slow
Verb
  • The pivotal match itself — the semifinal encounter against hosts Uruguay — is also more convincingly depicted and dramatic, particularly for how one of the goals is assisted by an interfering policeman (incredibly, this did actually happen).
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Other fans have targeted Chung Mong-gyu, the outgoing director of the Korean Football Association, who’s been accused of improperly interfering in the management of the national team.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
Definition of interfering
Verb
  • The Germans were crawling as far as the street, dashing across the asphalt, then leaping into the second trench.
    — Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Jude Cornell joined a swarm of toddlers crawling after soccer balls, tossing training cones into the air and relocating a goalie net that was proving to be very, very portable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of crawling

Browse Nearby Words

pokiness
poking
poking (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Poking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poking. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on poking

Nglish: Translation of poking for Spanish Speakers

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