as in to encourage
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the public service announcement urges pet owners to spay or neuter their pets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in desire
a strong wish for something
I'm trying to resist the urge to eat another piece of cake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of urge
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
One change to the wording required Dalton Utilities merely to submit the application, rather than to obtain a permit, as EPA had urged.
—Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2026
The Elden Ring sets are looking very real in a way that summons an overpowering urge to replay a game that takes 400 hours to get through.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for urge
Verb
Americans visiting Bolivia are urged to stay vigilant.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
One change to the wording required Dalton Utilities merely to submit the application, rather than to obtain a permit, as EPA had urged.
—Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026
Noun
And just as celebrity hairstylist SherriAnn Cole recently advised in Vogue, Clarke resisted the common urge to match her brows to her new blonde hair.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2026
The Elden Ring sets are looking very real in a way that summons an overpowering urge to replay a game that takes 400 hours to get through.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for urge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for urge
Verb
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Officials also encourage businesses to give customers a glimpse of how dim sum is made through live-streaming.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
Becerra proposes to require cities and counties to approve or deny building permits within 90 days, loosening certain regulations for infill projects and reforming construction defect laws to encourage more construction of entry-level condos.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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In mid-April, Meghan Trainor also called off her entire arena tour, citing a desire to spend time with her young children.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
2 May 2026
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Renewable energy The global oil crisis has only deepened the desire by many countries to transition to clean energy, which could be a boon for the sector.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Aiming for 30 grams of protein at breakfast can reduce cravings, promote fullness, stabilize blood sugar, and help maintain muscle mass.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2026
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Kravitz is the opposite, as her Venus conjunct Pluto in Scorpio is deeply evocative; there is a deep craving for intimacy, soul-to-soul connection and closeness rooted in loyalty and reciprocity.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Coming from a working-class family of Mexican immigrants and having worked many years in services jobs around the South Bay, the 36-year-old wanted his art to reflect that longing for a fair treatment of workers, especially immigrants.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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Touching on both, this memoir beautifully conveys the haunting presence of an estranged relative and the blurry line between longing and reluctance toward reconnection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Beyond simply preventing blackouts, this facility is specifically designed to quench the massive power thirst of local AI data centers.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
-
Excess sugar overwhelms the kidneys, which flush it — along with hydrating fluids — out through urine, leaving people dehydrated and trapped in a cycle of thirst.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Building up a man whose appetite, whose isolation, whose just general hunger to dominate, making that character and then giving him this one lifeline to humanity in Vanessa — that’s all calculated.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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The final nail in the coffin may have been Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, a 2012 juggernaut that primed the public for twisty, femme-centric thrillers—a hunger that still hasn’t faded.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Urge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urge. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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