1
as in persuading
Related Words
Relevance
2
as in prompt
Related Words
as in encouraging
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of urging
Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
China’s major credit‑rating firms are set to meet next week to discuss quality issues at the urging of regulators, according to people familiar with the matter.
—Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
Now she’s been coaxed out of retirement to make her mark in online criticism, at the urging of her close personal friend, the novelist and New Yorker contributor Paul Rudnick.
—Libby Gelman-Waxner, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
At Gomez’s urging, Levine talked with town officials this week to see if there’d been any developments since 2018.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
At the urging of his family, the Mechanicsburg resident made an appointment with his doctor, who recommended Kimmel get an endoscopy to examine his throat.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Mills, 78, entered the race at the urging of Democratic Party leaders.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
When Suzanna, a fledgling psychologist, tells, at Max’s urging, a mocking anecdote about one of her young clients, neither Becky nor the sensitive Andrew get the laugh.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
Their working relationship experienced a rupture late last week when Johnson — at the urging of many House Republicans — rejected Thune’s plan.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Lydon, who served as a Peruvian missionary with the pope during the 1990s, recalled his friend collecting signatures on petitions urging an end to human rights violations under an authoritarian regime.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Overall, the 12 rules emphasized safety, urging Marines to be reasonable, to de-escalate tensions and to avoid confrontations with individuals who posed no threat.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Another one, which examined how law enforcement and intelligence agencies interacted before the attack produced an interim report in April urging stricter gun controls.
—ABC News, 5 May 2026
Moments after the Game 7 win, Embiid delivered the first soundbite of this year’s Knicks-Sixers series, urging Philly fans not to sell their tickets in order to avoid another New York takeover at Xfinity Mobile Arena like what happened two years ago.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Meanwhile, Israel and Russia’s pavilions have generated widespread controversy, with politicians, artists, and even participants in Koyo Kouoh’s main exhibition urging the Biennale to exclude both nations from the show.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Four missile alerts were issued Monday urging UAE residents to find shelter — the first such alerts since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago.
—Adam Schreck, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
That said, there is a certain melody in its urging for empathy.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2026
Noun
Rogan insisted a viral clip of Trump putting his hands on his shoulders at a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship wasn’t a tense exchange, but rather the president delivering good news about taking up the cause of psychedelic therapy research at Rogan’s urging.
—Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
China’s major credit‑rating firms are set to meet next week to discuss quality issues at the urging of regulators, according to people familiar with the matter.
—Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
Now she’s been coaxed out of retirement to make her mark in online criticism, at the urging of her close personal friend, the novelist and New Yorker contributor Paul Rudnick.
—Libby Gelman-Waxner, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
At Gomez’s urging, Levine talked with town officials this week to see if there’d been any developments since 2018.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
At the urging of his family, the Mechanicsburg resident made an appointment with his doctor, who recommended Kimmel get an endoscopy to examine his throat.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Mills, 78, entered the race at the urging of Democratic Party leaders.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
When Suzanna, a fledgling psychologist, tells, at Max’s urging, a mocking anecdote about one of her young clients, neither Becky nor the sensitive Andrew get the laugh.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
Their working relationship experienced a rupture late last week when Johnson — at the urging of many House Republicans — rejected Thune’s plan.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
As this unseasonable heat returns, the National Weather Service is urging residents in South Florida to take necessary precautions to avoid heat illnesses and heat exhaustion.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Lydon, who served as a Peruvian missionary with the pope during the 1990s, recalled his friend collecting signatures on petitions urging an end to human rights violations under an authoritarian regime.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Overall, the 12 rules emphasized safety, urging Marines to be reasonable, to de-escalate tensions and to avoid confrontations with individuals who posed no threat.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Another one, which examined how law enforcement and intelligence agencies interacted before the attack produced an interim report in April urging stricter gun controls.
—ABC News, 5 May 2026
Moments after the Game 7 win, Embiid delivered the first soundbite of this year’s Knicks-Sixers series, urging Philly fans not to sell their tickets in order to avoid another New York takeover at Xfinity Mobile Arena like what happened two years ago.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Meanwhile, Israel and Russia’s pavilions have generated widespread controversy, with politicians, artists, and even participants in Koyo Kouoh’s main exhibition urging the Biennale to exclude both nations from the show.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Four missile alerts were issued Monday urging UAE residents to find shelter — the first such alerts since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago.
—Adam Schreck, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
That said, there is a certain melody in its urging for empathy.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for urging
Noun
-
The 70-year-old was explaining how the revival came about through years-long persuading of Emmy-winning creator and executive producer Linwood Boomer.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Each distortion is what happens when the body does the persuading, and the ideas are just the wardrobe.—
Alexis Coe,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
OpenAI leaned into the curious habit, choosing to highlight the goblin-forbidding prompt in a tweet.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But a sufficiently creative prompt can frame any harmful action as a legitimate one.—
Evan Johnson,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Moon in Sagittarius activates your 3rd House of Communication, encouraging direct expression and clearer exchanges.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
And the petition would need to name the private entity’s president, director or other corporate officer as the preferred guardian, rather than a business name, with the goal of encouraging more personal responsibility.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Then the speakers’ exhortations to excellence would build in emotional intensity until women began to weep and the meeting erupted in spontaneous pledges to set new personal bests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Passages range from the creation of the world to bloody battles and apocalyptic destruction, from exhortations to love of God, neighbor and the needy to passages telling of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At a time when the football commentariat in Italy is proposing that the entire system of Italian football be demolished, Sassuolo act as a reminder than not all is bad.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Hopefully, the next generation of baseball fans will stay familiar with his career thanks to this reminder.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The situation has captured international attention as some passengers had disembarked and dispersed across multiple countries before the outbreak was fully understood, prompting some to draw comparisons to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
The exchanges grew increasingly heated as Pratt repeatedly attacked Raman’s homelessness proposals, prompting Raman to accuse Pratt and Bass of focusing more on attacking her than debating one another.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
No coaxing or pulling from the crate.—
Cathy M. Rosenthal,
San Antonio Express-News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Hair that’s naturally less heavy can hold more shape and bounce when styling, but maintaining a full-bodied look might take some extra coaxing.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And the White House gave feedback on draft maps before they were unveiled to the public.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Without a screen and physical buttons, the Fitbit uses haptic feedback for an alarm clock feature and a small light to indicate updates about remaining battery life.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Urging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urging. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
