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
The two appeared to exchange words while walking toward security, with Richardson still nudging him and appearing to reach for his face.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Niazi appears uninterested in asserting her voice on the page, a lack of literary care that seems connected to her tendency—odd in a memoir—to nudge away from introspection.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Those dips can nudge us to reach for another sweet or carb-laden snack as a quick fix.
—Emma Yasinski, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Online platforms structure our personal relationships; algorithms nudge us toward the platform owners’ preferred choices.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Niazi appears uninterested in asserting her voice on the page, a lack of literary care that seems connected to her tendency—odd in a memoir—to nudge away from introspection.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Those dips can nudge us to reach for another sweet or carb-laden snack as a quick fix.
—Emma Yasinski, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Online platforms structure our personal relationships; algorithms nudge us toward the platform owners’ preferred choices.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 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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