stoke

verb

stoked; stoking

transitive verb

1
: to poke or stir up (a fire, flames, etc.) : supply with fuel
2
: to feed abundantly
3
: to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of
limiting the number of cars available … will help stoke demand for the carKeith Naughton

intransitive verb

: to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel

Examples of stoke in a Sentence

The engineer stoked the coals. The new ad campaign has helped to stoke sales. Poor revenue figures have stoked concerns about possible layoffs.
Recent Examples on the Web The whole intention of the movie is to stoke the outrage. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Ongoing tensions over immigration and asylum policies, a spate of lethal terrorist attacks and the explosive emotions stoked by the Israel-Hamas war (France has both the largest Jewish and the largest Muslim populations in Europe) create a climate favorable to the far right on social issues. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 We are also stoked to welcome back our headline partner Shure, who have a longstanding commitment to showcasing and supporting local music. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 The campaign seems crafted to stoke outrage and polarization before the 2024 election for the White House, and experts who study Russian disinformation say Americans can expect more to come as Putin looks to weaken support for Ukraine and cut off a vital supply of aid. David Klepper, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2024 And Haley stoked controversy most recently last December, after responding to a question about the cause of the Civil War during a New Hampshire town hall and failing to mention slavery. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Still, a small proportion of people immunized were injured by the shots, stoking debate about their benefits versus harms. Jason Gale, Fortune Well, 19 Feb. 2024 Instead, images of floods of migrants stoke real worries about the federal government’s ability to vet so many people so quickly. USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 The struggle to put a dent in homelessness, despite a flood of public spending in recent years, has only stoked public frustration over encampments and jarring scenes of human suffering on display on city streets and parks countywide. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stoke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Dutch stoken; akin to Middle Dutch stuken to push

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoke was in 1683

Dictionary Entries Near stoke

Cite this Entry

“Stoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoke. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stoke

verb
stoked; stoking
1
: to stir up or tend (as a fire)
2
: to supply (as a furnace) with fuel
3
: to feed plentifully
stoker noun

Medical Definition

stoke

noun
: the cgs unit of kinematic viscosity being that of a fluid which has a viscosity of one poise and a density of one gram per cubic centimeter

More from Merriam-Webster on stoke

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