nudged; nudging
1
: to touch or push gently
… nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.—
Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux
especially
: to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow
… nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy … —J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling 2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …—Janet Bamford
Janet Bamford3
: approach
… its circulation is nudging the four million mark …—Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
: to give a nudge
She nudged and jostled through the crowd.
nudge
noun
nudger
noun
Examples of nudge in a Sentence
I nudged the plate closer to him.
The guard nudged the prisoner forward.
The dog nudged the ball with his nose.
He nudged me and pointed to the deer.
The salesman nudged her into testing out the car.
Album sales are nudging the one million mark.
The price of gold has nudged a little higher.
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s like a flower scrupulously nudging out from between sidewalk slabs, a breath of fresh air.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
In combined bites, the salty ingredients season the fresh ones, and the textures are varied enough to gently nudge the brain awake.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
In Europe, however, the Iran war could nudge investors and governments toward a more favorable view of the high-cost, low-carbon alternative, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
On Sunday, stops were hard to come by with Flagg scoring almost at will (14 for 27 from the field, 15 for 17 at the free-throw line), and the Lakers’ responses never nudged the needle in their favor.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Noah White, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
In combined bites, the salty ingredients season the fresh ones, and the textures are varied enough to gently nudge the brain awake.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
In Europe, however, the Iran war could nudge investors and governments toward a more favorable view of the high-cost, low-carbon alternative, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
On Sunday, stops were hard to come by with Flagg scoring almost at will (14 for 27 from the field, 15 for 17 at the free-throw line), and the Lakers’ responses never nudged the needle in their favor.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nudge
verb
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially
: to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge
noun
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