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
Many are concerned that there is insufficient understanding of how to ensure it cannot be misused by bad actors or nudged to go rogue.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Even with those levies, China nudged a record trade surplus last year by pivoting to other markets.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Approaching the steep dropoff of the overflowing dam, the barge was instead nudged into a nearby edge of shore, where a crane lifted the booms in two-piece sections onto land.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
The Boston police, the politicians claim, must defer to the courts wink wink nudge nudge.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Even with those levies, China nudged a record trade surplus last year by pivoting to other markets.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Approaching the steep dropoff of the overflowing dam, the barge was instead nudged into a nearby edge of shore, where a crane lifted the booms in two-piece sections onto land.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
The Boston police, the politicians claim, must defer to the courts wink wink nudge nudge.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 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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