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
Steve Bowsher, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2025
Trump tried to nudge him toward some actual news items.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2025
Perhaps our bee friend will nudge it out of the way.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Lindholm nudged him back, just before Morgan Geekie ripped the tying one-timer into the net with 1:11 remaining in regulation.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Verb
Instead, Washington would use its SWF to identify priorities in commercial technology and nudge U.S. startups toward those goals—combining the interests of the nation with the dynamism and innovation of private investors.
—Steve Bowsher, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2025
Trump tried to nudge him toward some actual news items.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2025
Perhaps our bee friend will nudge it out of the way.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Lindholm nudged him back, just before Morgan Geekie ripped the tying one-timer into the net with 1:11 remaining in regulation.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
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Like a spa day for high-end fabric, the pieces are brushed, steamed and misted back to life.—
Violet Goldstone,
WWD,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Matt tries to rally, but the judge brushes off his protests.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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Even before the Irish journalist Fintan O’Toole urged his government to steal American scientists, Bromberg had already researched the cost of moving Gatsby, her 70-pound dog, from Columbus to Dublin: $8,000, or about one-quarter of a typical annual graduate salary.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
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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On that note…being concise doesn’t mean being a total jerk either.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2025
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Rockwell's Officer Dixon, a mama’s boy with a screw loose and a history of torturing Black prisoners, is a target of her ire − that is, until the actor carefully adds layers to what could be a one-note jerk. 14.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
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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The setting is a bit of a fever dream, but the art is whimsical and touches on trauma and neuroscience in an interesting way.—
Urmila Ramakrishnan,
Bon Appétit,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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