nudge

verb

nudged; nudging

transitive verb

1
: to touch or push gently
nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.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
2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …Janet Bamford
3
: approach
its circulation is nudging the four million markBennett Cerf

intransitive verb

: 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
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.
The central bank has nudged up its short-term policy rate and scaled back bond-buying operations, all signaling that keeping yields contained will be a tough ask. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025 In the past, these placements were also a reliable driver of indirect traffic, boosting your SERP visibility and nudging readers back to your site. Noa Eshed, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The housing market is considered by some a bellwether of the wider economy, and sustained difficulties have been highlighted as a critical headwind this year, one which could nudge the country closer to a downturn. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 In any event, this retrograde is nudging you to choose quality over quantity. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nudge

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nudge was in 1675

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

nudge

verb
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially : to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nudge

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