1
as in poked
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object
kept prodding the sheep with a staff to move along faster
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in urged
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
a public outcry eventually prodded the politicians into action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prodded
Some sob when prodded by a fork, others are straight up devoured.
—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
The reason for excitement in this case is a group of young guys who are maturing and learning how to be consistent winners, prodded by a coach who won three Stanley Cup championships in Chicago and has demonstrated a knack for turning young teams into contenders.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Rajner has prodded lawmakers to act while also accusing DOH of illegally diverting money from ADAP without adequately notifying the public of the implications of the severe cutbacks.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
They were pinched, prodded, cut, shocked, pierced with needles, struck with canes, and burned with acid.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Naomi Girma prodded home after a scramble from a corner to send Chelsea through to the quarter-finals.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Thankfully, city officials—prodded by tenants and small-business owners, clergy and homeowners, and, yes, some landlords—rejected advice to consign neighborhoods such as East Flatbush to history’s dustbin.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Other officials, too, prodded the IDNR after they were caught unaware about the possibility that the marina would not open for the 2026 season.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
And no matter where anyone turned, everyone poked, prodded and dissected the sounds, lyrics and yes, muses – a prospect faced by no other artist in 2025.
—Denise Warner, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
The reason for excitement in this case is a group of young guys who are maturing and learning how to be consistent winners, prodded by a coach who won three Stanley Cup championships in Chicago and has demonstrated a knack for turning young teams into contenders.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Rajner has prodded lawmakers to act while also accusing DOH of illegally diverting money from ADAP without adequately notifying the public of the implications of the severe cutbacks.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
They were pinched, prodded, cut, shocked, pierced with needles, struck with canes, and burned with acid.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Naomi Girma prodded home after a scramble from a corner to send Chelsea through to the quarter-finals.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Thankfully, city officials—prodded by tenants and small-business owners, clergy and homeowners, and, yes, some landlords—rejected advice to consign neighborhoods such as East Flatbush to history’s dustbin.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Other officials, too, prodded the IDNR after they were caught unaware about the possibility that the marina would not open for the 2026 season.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
And no matter where anyone turned, everyone poked, prodded and dissected the sounds, lyrics and yes, muses – a prospect faced by no other artist in 2025.
—Denise Warner, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodded
Verb
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The Thorns forward poked the ball through and Ball kicked her leg into Wilson’s path, taking her down inside the box.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While the project is delayed, some CRTPO members urged NCDOT to continue listening to residents and rebuild trust.—
Desiree Mathurin
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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The union previously urged the department to do more to separate violent prisoners, alleging the state has too often held dangerous inmates in lower-security settings not designed to house them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another did not investigate a claim that a resident was stabbed by a fork-wielding manager, records show.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The 39-year-old homeless man who allegedly stabbed a woman in downtown Los Angeles was wanted for allegedly killing someone last year, according to a law enforcement bulletin a source provided to CBS LA.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some players encouraged the 49ers to investigate, but Lynch noted that it was not broached by anyone who joined the team in the past few weeks since free agency opened, including wide receiver Mike Evans.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Students should be encouraged to think historically, Zavala said, and to approach larger themes of colonization, erasure, power and to reflect on the way movements are shaped and the contradictions that occur within them.—
Kristy Hutchings,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The trial has featured evidence of a tense divorce and child custody battle and has spurred a deeper examination of how this high-achieving couple came to sit across from each other in court.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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But the law has spurred a bottleneck for affordable housing.—
Charlotte Kramon,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Life, however, nudged her back into the spotlight.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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Roan nudged aside Sabrina Carpenter to win the Grammy for best new artist last February.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In areas outside its hardiness zone, Milky Way™ Dietes can be grown in containers that are overwintered indoors or grown as a tender perennial and dug from garden beds for winter storage.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
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By the time the white light that floods Bogotá on cloudy days grows bright enough to be blinding, the june bug has dug herself a refuge in the dirt.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Rockets are a team that lost its starting point guard (Fred VanVleet) at the start of the year while the Knicks brought back and built upon the exact same core that punched the franchise’s first ticket to the conference finals in the last quarter-century.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Manning allegedly punched and kicked Hartman in the face and torso, scratched her, choked her and grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the floor and wall.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prodded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodded. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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