Stoke City suffered a fourth Championship loss in five games as a resurgent Middlesbrough eased to victory at the Riverside.
Paddy McNair doubled the lead shortly before the break after picking up Yannick Bolasie's pass on the left and curling a low effort through defender Harry Souttar's legs into the bottom corner.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's late third goal sealed victory as he dinked the ball over Angus Gunn after the hosts hit their opponents on the break.
Middlesbrough remain eight points off the play-off places after sixth-placed Barnsley won at Bournemouth, while Stoke slip to 11th in the table.