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
With charming Venus in your subtle 12th house nudging lucky Jupiter in your dutiful 6th house, your time will be best spent in quiet, practical actions.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Coca-Cola recently released an ad generated entirely by machines — studios in Los Angeles nudged it into the world with no human actors.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Adams’ baseline jumper got Miami going, Kimpson kept pressure on the rim, and after Louisville nudged ahead late in the second, the Hurricanes stacked three straight layups from Wetzel, Kimpson and Kyle to retake the lead.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
That would nudge open the cracks through which change might eventually arrive.
—Ricardo Torres, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Coca-Cola recently released an ad generated entirely by machines — studios in Los Angeles nudged it into the world with no human actors.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Adams’ baseline jumper got Miami going, Kimpson kept pressure on the rim, and after Louisville nudged ahead late in the second, the Hurricanes stacked three straight layups from Wetzel, Kimpson and Kyle to retake the lead.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
That would nudge open the cracks through which change might eventually arrive.
—Ricardo Torres, Time, 8 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 10 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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