nudged; nudging
1
: to touch or push gently
… nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.—
Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux
especially
: to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow
… nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy … —J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling 2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …—Janet Bamford
Janet Bamford3
: approach
… its circulation is nudging the four million mark …—Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
: to give a nudge
She nudged and jostled through the crowd.
nudge
noun
nudger
noun
Examples of nudge in a Sentence
I nudged the plate closer to him.
The guard nudged the prisoner forward.
The dog nudged the ball with his nose.
He nudged me and pointed to the deer.
The salesman nudged her into testing out the car.
Album sales are nudging the one million mark.
The price of gold has nudged a little higher.
Recent Examples on the Web
Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott is nudging cities to move away from March.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Team priorities could collide as the concerned Moon in your 11th House of Aspirations nudges reckless Mars in your 5th House of Risks.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Repair shouldn’t have been impossible, and yet every step of the process nudged me toward replacement.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
As the volunteer soccer coach shouted words of motivation, one of his players nudged the ball past the opposing team's goalie and into the net, prompting the sideline to erupt in cheers.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Team priorities could collide as the concerned Moon in your 11th House of Aspirations nudges reckless Mars in your 5th House of Risks.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Repair shouldn’t have been impossible, and yet every step of the process nudged me toward replacement.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
As the volunteer soccer coach shouted words of motivation, one of his players nudged the ball past the opposing team's goalie and into the net, prompting the sideline to erupt in cheers.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nudge
verb
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially
: to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge
noun
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