1
as in urging
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
tried to goad me into auditioning for the play
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poking
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object
goading the horse forward into the stall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of goading
Anthropic’s Claude wanted to know whether my headache was tension-related, due to sinus pressure, or something else entirely—hardly a goading question.
—
Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goading
Verb
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Porat closed by urging leaders to really dig in and reimagine what’s possible in their own organizations.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Forecasters are urging travelers to check state road condition websites before setting out, as snow and ice are likely on high-elevation roads and mountain passes.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This isn’t Lovato’s first time poking fun at the meme.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Or use your finger, poking it about 2 inches into the soil.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Police are encouraging anyone with knowledge of the crash to come forward with further details.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Several viewers shared more helpful solutions, with some encouraging the woman to ask a pest control professional for help.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For Native people, the war marked a dangerous fork in the road, stirring famine, spurring a massive refugee crisis, and permanently shifting the balance of power in the heart of the continent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The facility is spurring an explosion of growth and development meant to serve businesses and workers at the new plant, all in the area of Phoenix that relies on the Colorado River.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Where’s this rising courage nudging you to act bigger and bolder?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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Instead, the director Scott Cooper’s film turns on Landau recognizing that the tracks reflect Springsteen confronting inner darkness—including his conflicted feelings about his father and his fear of his growing fame—and nudging the musician to realize his need for further help.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Denji grapples with his growing feelings for her despite his loyalty to Makima, Reze begins prodding him to consider his place in Public Safety, and whether a teenager should really be put in the position of risking his life for the bare minimum of food and shelter.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
22 Oct. 2025
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Alex Caruso was the ace in the hole, pestering and prodding Jokic to death in Game 7.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Not his first murder In 1988, Andres was convicted of stabbing to death 32-year-old Linda Azcarreta, a friend of his wife.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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Police in Kansas have arrested a former TV news anchor in connection to the stabbing death of her elderly mother.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, when video circulated of a police officer punching Christina Pierre, Jennings announced meetings with community leaders to rework policy.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Oct. 2025
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Her past was practically punching its way out of her.—
Natalia Paradies,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Goading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goading. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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