Verb
Their horses refused to budge.
The door was stuck, and we couldn't even get it to budge.
Could you try opening this jar for me? I can't budge the lid.
We tried to change her mind, but we couldn't budge her.
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Noun
So this thing pays you a 60% higher yield than a 10-year Treasury and barely budges when the stock market freaks out.—John Melloy, CNBC, 12 June 2025 This semi-permanent, ultra-matte liquid eyeliner delivers intense color that won’t crack, bleed, or budge—no matter how long your day (or night) runs.—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 18 May 2025
Verb
Trump’s special envoy Witkoff will likely hear once again during his visit to Moscow that Putin will not budge on his demand that Ukraine give up Donetsk in return for peace.—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025 No more shoving a sponge down into a glass to wash away that stubborn bit of red wine that won’t budge.—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The waterproof, gel-like formula uses film-forming silicones and waxes to create a flexible yet budge-proof seal that locks pigment in place.—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 11 Nov. 2025 Despite the unprecedented capabilities – and uncanny, seemingly humanlike qualities – of generative AI, the limit on how much human work can be fully automated will continue to only very slowly budge.—Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for budge
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English bugee, from Anglo-French buge
Verb
Anglo-French bouger, from Vulgar Latin *bullicare, from Latin bullire to boil — more at boil
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