poke
verb (used with object)
to prod or push, especially with something narrow or pointed, such as a finger, elbow, stick, etc..
poking
-
present participleof poke.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s the reason so many of us walk to our cars with our keys poking through our fingers, why we tense up when someone walks too closely behind us on a dark street.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
“For some reason that no one can figure out, I really, really like you,” Johnson’s Trump told Mamdani, poking fun at the unlikely rapport between the president and the democratic socialist mayor.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Cherki took Phil Foden's pass on the edge of the area, embarking on a slalom run surrounded by four Palace defenders, leaving them helpless before poking a left-foot finish past keeper Dean Henderson.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The straw has a strange menacing string running through it and poking out of the tip, and the cup’s utility is squished into near-unrecognizability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
She didn’t actually want to marry Misha, but Nava’s assertion that Anya wasn’t good enough to marry him sat unsteadily inside her, poking her with sharp edges.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
