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
Starbucks, for example, nudges users toward loading funds onto a digital gift card by offering more rewards.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
The latter was a delightful car, comprising only a modest four-cylinder engine that, at its best, barely nudged 100 hp.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025
The House version, House Bill 1008, cleared the panel on an 8-5 vote, with the committee’s minority of Republicans helping nudge it over the line amid split Democratic support.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
Having daily feedback about what’s going on internally can help nudge us toward healthy habits, in ways our own beliefs or opinions can’t.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
The latter was a delightful car, comprising only a modest four-cylinder engine that, at its best, barely nudged 100 hp.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025
The House version, House Bill 1008, cleared the panel on an 8-5 vote, with the committee’s minority of Republicans helping nudge it over the line amid split Democratic support.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
Having daily feedback about what’s going on internally can help nudge us toward healthy habits, in ways our own beliefs or opinions can’t.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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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