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
His Dahl is constantly goading people, driving them right up to the edge of their tolerance.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
So, does Roan deserve all the credit for softening the nature of these carpets, where dozens of photographers gather to scream goading or even offensive remarks at talent just to get their attention?
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 12 Mar. 2026
Reporters looking to stir up trouble in the press room were goading American players, particularly those with foreign-sounding last names.
—Beth Herman, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Julian and Neil take to goading and championing the understandably hangdog Matt.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Christiaan Verbeek’s score is highly effective, ranging from ominous passages propelled by drums and goading percussion to turbulent strings steadily cranked up in intensity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
So, does Roan deserve all the credit for softening the nature of these carpets, where dozens of photographers gather to scream goading or even offensive remarks at talent just to get their attention?
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 12 Mar. 2026
Reporters looking to stir up trouble in the press room were goading American players, particularly those with foreign-sounding last names.
—Beth Herman, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Julian and Neil take to goading and championing the understandably hangdog Matt.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Christiaan Verbeek’s score is highly effective, ranging from ominous passages propelled by drums and goading percussion to turbulent strings steadily cranked up in intensity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goading
Verb
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Shortly after the ruling, Republicans were urging a review of their congressional maps in Louisiana, Tennessee and elsewhere.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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On Monday, Bloomberg News reported that around 600 Google workers sent a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai urging him to refuse new AI partnerships with the Pentagon.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nice little Rogen dig here that reminds me of This Is the End poking fun at The Green Hornet.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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In response to shouts for everyone to get down, one administration official at a media table crawled under it, with just her high heels poking out.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The state has tried to get upstream from abuse and neglect, raising awareness of resources and encouraging the general community to support families, said Thomas Miller, director of children, aging and community services at the Colorado Department of Human Services.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
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Parents and pediatricians can advocate for child pedestrian safety by supporting and encouraging community programs with resources offered through organizations such as Safe Routes to School.—
Dr. Phyllis Agran,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The government is mindful of not hurting economic growth or spurring panic among consumers.—
Shoko Oda,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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The move appears to have backfired, spurring voters in California and, last week, Virginia to redraw their state’s political maps to more than offset Texas and boost Democrats in November.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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OpenAI, for example, added a feature to ChatGPT in August that encourages users to take breaks after using the tool for extended periods of time instead of nudging them to keep responding.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
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Five‑generation workforces that tap older adults as talent, mentors, and innovators instead of nudging them to the sidelines.—
Ken Dychtwald,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kuhner is a writer, and, a few months after his family arrived, neighbors started prodding him to take over the local bookstore, which was being sold.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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And six years later, Donovan is still prodding and cajoling the forward to crash the boards and control his dribble and contribute physically to the game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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London — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was heckled Thursday during a visit to North London, a day after two Jewish men were wounded in a stabbing attack — the latest in a series of incidents that one of Starmer's cabinet members has called an antisemitism emergency.—
Inaya Folarin Iman,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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An alleged TikTok antagonist is accused of stabbing a 17-year-old to death outside his New York City apartment building, authorities said.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The behavior of a suspect in the murders of two University of South Florida students from Bangladesh worsened over time from marijuana use, family members told deputies after his arrest three years ago for punching his brother in the face and kicking his mother in the back.—
Mike Schneider,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Ryan said Horner later confessed to punching and kicking the child in the head.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goading. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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