1
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
accidentally nudged me as they squeezed past
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the car salesman nudged me into taking a test-drive, even though I had said that I was just looking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nudge
Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025
His son nudged Trump to appear on popular podcasts during the 2024 presidential campaign.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Pressure to comply – Social and institutional forces nudge us toward compliance, especially in professional settings where defiance can risk reputational or career damage.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Often, though, life nudges us to stay put when Feb. 14 rolls around.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Verb
One recent investigation found that, more and more, apps are nudging people to pay for perks—visibility boosts, unlimited likes—marketed as tools for finding love.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025
His son nudged Trump to appear on popular podcasts during the 2024 presidential campaign.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Pressure to comply – Social and institutional forces nudge us toward compliance, especially in professional settings where defiance can risk reputational or career damage.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Often, though, life nudges us to stay put when Feb. 14 rolls around.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
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Earlier this month, Murray Auchincloss, BP’s current chief executive, brushed off an analyst’s question about reverting to a more normal approach to the Russian holding, noting that Rosneft remained under sanctions by more than a dozen countries.—
Stanley Reed,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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While many dismiss this sort of movie fare, and many others brushed off a later-career showing from the Wayans, those who respect the parody’s never-taking-itself-too-seriously nature will find that Marlon Wayans still knew how to make a hilarious spoof into the 2010s and beyond.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the continued fight for racial justice and amid reinvigorated efforts to erase Black contributions to American history, Wells would urge activists to be steadfast in speaking truth into the world and advocating relentlessly for a more racially just America.—
Amy Gais / Made by History,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
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Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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His push to bring workers back has been fraught with logistical challenges, with reports of agencies struggling to accommodate the shift.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
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However, his push to cut the federal workforce is affecting D.C.’s finances.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Busch and his team would love to pose for more pictures kissing the bricks at IMS following Sunday’s race.—
Clifton Brown,
Indianapolis Star,
17 July 2017
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The trainer turns and kisses one of the man-eaters on the nose.—
Holly Millea,
Smithsonian,
29 June 2017
Verb
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Nope, although Google does encourage all users to switch from passwords and traditional 2FA to the use of passkeys, of course.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Officials encourage Carolinians to stay informed through official emergency sources and call 911 to report any immediate threats.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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With that put to bed, our attention turns back to the husbands, and all the new rumors from this season, like Lisa bringing up Shawn’s name in regards to circle jerks.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
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Diagnosed first with Jeavons syndrome in 2018/19—a rare form of epilepsy characterized by absence seizures and eyelid jerks—a 1,000-gene epilepsy panel in 2020 revealed further health problems.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Novelty, touch me surfaces, remarkable rich and playful colors livened up our buying prospects for fall.—
Luisa Zargani,
WWD,
2 Mar. 2025
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Brody briefly touched on the kiss while reflecting on his Oscar win during a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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