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to poke

to poke

251 1.5
Push quickly with a finger, stick, or other small object
  • verb
  • /poʊk/
translation icon : pinchar
  • We could see the tips of the pine and bamboo trees poking out from the lingering fog.
  • poke a hole
  • poke holes in carbon

So so the truth is, and this is where you poke poke the holes right.

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Examples

  • I felt like a water balloon with a hole poked in it

  • He decided to poke a hole in the ground to plant the seeds.

  • Take your kebab and poke it right here.

  • You almost poked the guy's eye out.

  • At times, it feels like her finger is poking right into me across the fire.

    Academic text (1998)
  • After he left, she picked up her rake and poked it around in the leaves.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The baby went back to poking at the small dent he'd made in the ground.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Be careful when you poke the cake to see if it's done; you don't want it to fall apart.

  • I used a stick to poke the fire and make it burn brighter.

Synonyms

to jab
vsto poke
19 3.3

To poke quickly and sharply with a finger, hand, or object

is less forceful and can also stir or touch gently
to prick
vsto poke
14 3.9

To make a small hole in something with a sharp point

is broader covering quick pushes taps or stirring rather than only holes
to poke at
vsto poke
9 2.5

Push gently at something or someone with a finger

is usually quicker and may make a hole or mark
to prod
vsto poke
4 3.7

To poke a person, animal, or object with a stick

is quicker and can also make a hole or mark

Idioms

to poke the bear
  • Informal
3 8.4

To do something on purpose to make an angry or dangerous person react

1 7.9

Hurt someone's eye by hitting it with a sharp object

1 9.9

To buy something without checking it first and risk being cheated

A joking way to say something is very unpleasant or painful

Phrasal Verbs

to poke fun
  • Offensive
25 3.9

To make jokes about someone to make them look silly

to poke fun at
  • Offensive
23 3.4

To make jokes about someone, sometimes to be playful and sometimes to be unkind

16 3.5

To stick out from something like a wall or table

9 2.5

Push gently at something or someone with a finger

to poke holes in
  • Informal
5 4.3

To find and show weak points in an idea or plan

to poke into
  • Informal
1 5.1

To look closely at something by touching or prodding it

1 7.3

To try to take part in other people's business without being asked

1 6.0

Push someone's side with a finger to get their attention or make them laugh

to poke into
  • Informal
1 5.2

To go into a place for a short time to look around

To put your head forward through an opening to look

Compounds

9.9

A poisonous plant with large leaves and greenish yellow flower clusters that people use in traditional medicine

Indian poke
  • Indian
9.9

A plant from southeast Asia and China that has berries that can be poisonous

poke bonnet
  • Archaic
9.9

A woman's hat with a wide brim at the front that ties under the chin

poke check
  • Specialized
8.2

A quick push with a hockey stick that knocks the puck away from an opponent

9.5

A milkweed plant from eastern North America with white and green flowers that grows in shady woods

How Hard

to stab
  • NSFW
459 2.7
to jab
19 3.3
to prod
4 3.7
to poke
251 1.5
to tap
174 1.0
to nudge
33 3.8

Surface Forms

poke infinitive
poked past
poked past participle
poking present participle
pokes third person singular

Etymology

Poke probably began as a short, sharp sound people copied to show a quick jab, so the verb is like a tiny, sudden 'push' or prod; think of a finger quickly 'poking' something to move it.