nudge

verb

\ ˈnəj

nudged; nudging

Definition of nudge

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

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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

Instead, a better strategy would be finding ways to nudge people into pre-ordering who might otherwise not consider it. — Anya Samek, The Conversation, "Selecting groceries ahead of time helps some shoppers make healthier choices," 10 July 2019 Can Facebook, Google, or Amazon nudge people into or out of worldviews that are more or less profitable to Facebook, Google, or Amazon? — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "The Move to Reclaim Privacy," 18 June 2019 The deputy instructed Salmons, who was in jail on suspicion of stealing a vehicle, to nudge Larson, according to the district attorney’s death-in-custody review, so Salmons jostled Larson’s mattress. — Jason Pohl, ProPublica, "There Has Been an Explosion of Homicides in California’s County Jails. Here’s Why.," 15 June 2019 Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T had the lead with about 100 meters left, only for Montgomery to use a final kick to nudge him at the finish line. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, "UH's Kahmari Montgomery wins NCAA outdoor title in 400 as Cougars finish 3rd," 7 June 2019 Roach recalls their first meeting for the Ailes film, when Robbie nudged him to add layers to her character, a fictional Fox News associate producer. — Irina Aleksander, Vogue, "Margot Robbie on Quentin Tarantino, Marriage, and the One Word She Hates Being Called," 6 June 2019 While many Democrats weary of Reagan-era Republicanism envisioned their party racing to the left, Mr. Biden chafed as some advisers nudged him toward a kind of zealous populism, an imperfect fit for the candidate’s within-the-system sensibility. — Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, "Biden’s First Run for President Was a Calamity. Some Missteps Still Resonate.," 3 June 2019 Now imagine tipping it on its side, nudging it into the Hudson, and putting out to sea. — The New York Review of Books, "Maya Jasanoff," 23 May 2019 And while Ducati’s signature V2 isn’t going anywhere, the maker’s Panigale V4—launched in 2018 as part of its regular production line—is nudging it aside on the brand’s biggest, fastest bikes. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "The New Age of the V4 Road Bike," 26 Apr. 2019

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.