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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goading
Verb
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The New Mexico Department of Health issued a warning Tuesday urging people to avoid consuming raw dairy products following the newborn’s death.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Wade's attorney says members of Congress from both parties have written to DHS urging the case be reopened.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shorebirds and seagulls waded along a sandbar, poking their beaks into the sand to hunt for food.—
Max Chesnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Ink decorates her hands and wrists, poking out from under the sleeves of her gray cashmere cardigan.—
Nicola Dall'Asen,
Allure,
5 Feb. 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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When snowflakes began to fall, some stuck their tongues out and laughed, playfully nudging one another.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
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After all the years of dreaming and campaigning and nudging the league for an outdoor game, Vinik suffered a major leg fracture during a snowmobiling accident on a trip to Norway with his kids.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Elliott, which took a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo in September, has been prodding the company’s board to make changes, saying PepsiCo was being hurt by slowing growth and lower profits in its North American food and beverage business.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Brown is accused of stabbing Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on a Charlotte light rail train last year, a brutal attack that drew national outrage after surveillance video of the killing was released.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
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The man accused of stabbing a Butler County Sheriff's Office deputy has been charged, according to court records.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jonathan Velez was slapped with charges of assault and reckless endangerment Wednesday for allegedly punching Manuel Rivera, his 39-year-old cousin, to the ground near Rockaway Blvd.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
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For about 17 years, McDonald-Foster ran her Crave Cafe out of a small, beige-yellow house barely punching 1,000 square feet and without a dishwasher.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goading. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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