nudge

verb

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\ ˈnəj

nudged; nudging

Definition of nudge

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 mark— Bennett Cerf

intransitive verb

: to give a nudge She nudged and jostled through the crowd.

Other Words from nudge Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About nudge

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web And if Carr can nudge up his outside shooting — 33.8 percent on 4.1 attempts per game last year — Texas could have one of the Big 12’s best all-around backcourts. — Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 6 May 2022 Pope Francis hasn't made much of a diplomatic mark in Russia's war in Ukraine, seemingly unable to capitalize on his moral authority, soft power or direct line to Moscow to nudge an end to the bloodshed or at least a cease-fire. — Nicole Winfield, ajc, 4 May 2022 This can be achieved by letting your toes nudge the body forward on the way down, and then reversing that movement on the way back up. — Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 4 May 2022 For example, the team assumed that these events would be concentrated in the Arctic because warming temperatures nudge animals toward higher, cooler latitudes. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2022 Sometimes Higashioka will signal for deceit, but the catcher no longer has to nudge the pitcher. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2022 Increasingly, these investors have sought to wield that influence to nudge corporate boards to change, said Marc Goldstein, head of U.S. research at corporate governance advisory firm ISS. — Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2022 Governments will have to step in to educate and nudge men and their employers into new behaviours, messaging and role modelling. — Avivah Wittenberg-cox, Forbes, 23 Apr. 2022 Like Berent, he is fascinated by the prospect of using audio to nudge someone into a deeper sleep state. — Steven Levy, Wired, 14 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nudge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.