1
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
a public outcry eventually prodded the politicians into action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stimulus
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 prod
Riley Beggin, USA Today, 19 May 2025
It was discovered this particular manatee has spent most of her life being poked and prodded by humans.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
There’s no doubt opponents will poke, prod and pester to test Lozano and his smaller frame at 5-9 and 155-ish.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prod
Verb
The letter prods at a rare point of overlap between Trump and some of the most progressive congressional Democrats and a break between the president and Republicans in Congress.
—Riley Beggin, USA Today, 19 May 2025
It was discovered this particular manatee has spent most of her life being poked and prodded by humans.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
Poke and prod correctly, and the gears of this puzzle box begin to turn.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
There’s no doubt opponents will poke, prod and pester to test Lozano and his smaller frame at 5-9 and 155-ish.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prod
Verb
-
Cunningham came to the defense of her teammate Clark, retaliating with less than a minute left on the clock after, earlier in the game, the Fever's superstar player was poked in the eye and then knocked to the ground by two separate Sun players.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
As Clark backed Sheldon down at the top of the key, Sheldon poked Clark in the eye.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
In December, the libertarian Cato Institute published an article urging Trump to privatize the system.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
27 June 2025
-
Then comes a video of Sam Smith as a toddler being urged to kick a ball in the hallway of the family home, followed straight after by the striker’s acrobatic finish to put Wrexham 2-0 up just three minutes on from Rathbone’s opener.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Triggered by sensory stimuli such as music, scents and foods, nostalgia has the power to mentally transport us back in time.—
Chelsea Reid,
The Conversation,
17 June 2025
-
This psychological process, as first described by Ivan Pavlov, explains how our brains learn to associate unrelated stimuli with specific emotional outcomes.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
This demand is spurring a recalibration within the entertainment industry, shifting the focus from providing more content to more personalized entertainment experiences.—
Jon Kirchner,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Long Island Mall Chaos Naturally, Bieber’s success was spurred by a devoted and intense fanbase of young girls.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Outrage from the Sikh community, as well as a social media push calling for hate crime charges, encouraged prosecutors to take another look at the case, officials said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
-
The five prizes were crafted based on research, evidence and consultation with teachers and education experts, and are designed to reflect key strategies that can encourage other schools to implement different strategies to strengthen their schools and communities.—
Lena Miano,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Early morning stabbing in Downtown Pittsburgh sends one person to hospital Food & Drink Product Recall Walmart Kroger Mary Cunningham Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
18 June 2025
-
Wohl allegedly tried to stab the officer, who had knife marks on his vest, sources said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
The president initially appeared to favor a delay in any attack to give diplomatic efforts more time, nudging Iran to come to the table to discuss curtailing its nuclear program.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
22 June 2025
-
Most sectors are lower, though telecoms nudged slightly higher, with Vodafone up 1% after announcing Pilar López would join the company from Microsoft as its chief financial officer from October.—
Ganesh Rao,Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
While American pharmaceutical development exhibits signs of institutional sclerosis, China’s system demonstrates the power of aligned incentives, streamlined processes, and strategic coordination between regulatory bodies, research institutions, and industry players.—
Greg Licholai MD,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
This prompted the lawmaker to question why someone would want to run away from these incentives and avoid detection.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prod. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share