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
Agents made several arrests in supermarket parking lots and at tamale stands while goading angry residents who confronted them and threatening to unleash tear gas.
—
Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The mind thrills to imagine a genderless prophet among the brocades and buckskin breeches of Revolutionary America, weirding out the normies, sticking a flower in the barrel of a musket, and goading the new nation to let its hair down—literally.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
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
Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The mind thrills to imagine a genderless prophet among the brocades and buckskin breeches of Revolutionary America, weirding out the normies, sticking a flower in the barrel of a musket, and goading the new nation to let its hair down—literally.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goading
Verb
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The nonprofit is urging donors to make an appointment to give blood or to go to a blood drive.—
Ciara McCarthy
January 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Jan. 2026
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Earlier this week, 60 CEOs in Minnesota wrote a letter published by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce urging deescalation.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Their second goal came on a play that McLellan still felt postgame should have been overturned for goalie interference, with Dylan Strome seemingly poking a puck out from under Gibson’s glove and scoring on a wraparound.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Spillman seemingly didn’t mind poking fun at her age, hitting the comedic beat again in the November episode that featured the finalists.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company shares live trades and commentary with members, encouraging them to study entries, exits, and risk levels as markets move.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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Each room offered a distinct sonic environment, encouraging guests to explore and engage with the artworks.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Particularly impressionable to her at the time were Dirty Dancing (spurring her to take ballroom dancing lessons) and Prince’s Purple Rain — both projected on a simple white sheet in a makeshift viewing room.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
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Both parties have passed bills year after year aimed at spurring development, yet Colorado's housing market continues to be one of the most expensive in the country.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The morning favors slow starts, nudging us to notice needs early and respond without wasting time.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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The speedy little Mercedes slipped beneath the truck, nudging it lightly in the belly, and contracted, crushing within itself two male bodies slack with drink and sleep.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wondrous Neptune is soaring into your 9th House of Investigations, prodding you out of your comfort zone.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
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Jordan, at times, could be abrasive and biting while relentlessly prodding his teammates to push themselves to excellence.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He’s suspected of stabbing 30-year-old mom Eliza Morales about 70 times, killing her and her unborn child before setting her home on fire, prosecutors have alleged in court.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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North Carolina lawmakers have called a federal judge’s order locking them out of the ongoing criminal investigative file on the August Charlotte light rail stabbing unconstitutional.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In September 2014, TMZ published a grainy elevator security video that showed Ray Rice, the star running back for the Baltimore Ravens, punching his girlfriend in the face so hard that she was knocked unconscious.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
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Aerating your lawn can improve this by punching holes into the soil or removing small plugs of soil to help water, air, and nutrients penetrate deeper into the ground.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goading. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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