goads 1 of 2

noun

Definition of goadsnext
plural of goad
as in incentives
something that arouses action or activity the threat of skin cancer—not to mention the prospect of wrinkles—should be sufficient goad for using sunscreen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

goads

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of goad
1
as in urges
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action tried to goad me into auditioning for the play

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stabs
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object goading the horse forward into the stall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for goads
  1. incentives
  2. urges
  3. stabs
  4. encourages
  5. spurs
  6. pokes
  7. motivations
Noun
  • The Colombian government supports tech initiatives, such as offering tax incentives to foster industry growth and digital nomad visas that attract international talent.
    Daniel Pena, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Calculating the actuals brings in many complications, including the size of the business, type of machinery and local rates and incentives.
    Tracy Price, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of incentives
Verb
  • If customers have purchased the product and are experiencing symptoms or adverse reactions, the DCC urges them to contact their physician immediately.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The invitation urges supporters to give Adams $3,700 each — a figure that exceeds the max $2,100 donors can contribute to a campaign participating in the city’s public matching funds program.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of urges
Verb
  • Ji-oh stabs Taesang through the heart with a fencing sword.
    Kayti Burt, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024
  • Instead, the inmate who stabs him to death used the blade to cut a Glasgow smile onto his face.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
Definition of stabs
Verb
  • But by leveraging data, landlords and property management teams can better understand how to provide their tenants with office spaces that will be customized to meet their unique methods of working, as well as an onsite experience that encourages them to choose to routinely come into the office.
    Ryan Masiello, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • By analyzing customer data and testing various minimum order values, companies can find the sweet spot that encourages larger purchases while maintaining profitable operations.
    Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of encourages
Verb
  • That spurs the humpbacks to lunge into the air to collect the small fish, creating the iconic imagery.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
  • By adopting this approach, sales leaders can create a high-performing, engaged and diverse sales team that spurs profitable revenue growth.
    Gregg Frederick, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of spurs
Verb
  • Loose threads that fly about vigorously in the wind decorate almost every garment, the inside lining often pokes out in random places, and cutoff sleeves are repositioned as dress pockets.
    Denni Hu, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024
  • Ellen pokes her head out from behind a door as her friends grow impatient.
    Scottie Andrew, CNN, 6 Oct. 2024
Definition of pokes
Noun
  • There is little nuance to anyone’s characterizations or motivations.
    Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 11 Dec. 2024
  • So-to this old scout, the motivations for the Guardians trading Andres Gimenez were simple.
    Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of motivations
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near goads

goading

goads

go-ahead

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Goads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goads. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on goads

Nglish: Translation of goads for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of goads for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...