The best replacement for strumming is picking.

The best alternatives to strumming are rated as following:
★★★★★  picking
★★★  fingerpicking
★★★  fingerstyle
★  plucking
  picking guitars

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Speaking about strumming, one probably shouldn't forget about tabs.

Other search terms related to strumming and their ratings are:
★★★★★ tabs
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Google Trends

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strumming
picking
fingerpicking