1
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
accidentally nudged me as they squeezed past
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the car salesman nudged me into taking a test-drive, even though I had said that I was just looking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nudge
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
Forecasters nudged up their growth outlook, lowered the probability of recession from 33% in April to 25%, and reduced their expectations for the unemployment rate.
—Steve Liesman, CNBC, 16 June 2026
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
Nothing mandatory, mind you; more of a gentle nudge for the undecided.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Verb
Herz’s point in the Harvard Medicine piece underscores this emotional states have a strong effect on physical well-being, and scent is one of the fastest ways to nudge an emotional state.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
Forecasters nudged up their growth outlook, lowered the probability of recession from 33% in April to 25%, and reduced their expectations for the unemployment rate.
—Steve Liesman, CNBC, 16 June 2026
Noun
As spacecraft vibrate, even a tiny nudge between exposures can completely blur delicate solar data.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
Nothing mandatory, mind you; more of a gentle nudge for the undecided.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
-
Long bangs, which brushed the tops of her oversized black glasses, added more bounce and fun to the overall hairstyle.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
18 June 2026
-
Brain fog was brushed off as stress or aging.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The pair also urged the clinic to disclose any discrepancies in parentage.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
A smoke advisory was issued for a broad swath of East Los Angeles, with members of the public urged to limit outdoor exercise and those with health issues to remain indoors.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Miles helped the Lynx (11-3) make a strong push for a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship, but the Las Vegas Aces snatched the final spot against the New York Liberty with a victory over Phoenix on Wednesday night.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Detectives recovered a computer file where Heuermann kept notes on how to get away with crimes, including supplies for his kill kits, the locations of traffic cameras and a reminder to use push-pins to hang a drop cloth, rather than tape.—
Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Al-Amri then knelt and kissed the ground while his teammates surrounded him.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
Jelly Roll is kissing Bunnie XO goodbye.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Nick Engen and Taylor Calmus CBS To help encourage fathers navigating similar experiences, Taylor Calmus, creator of the popular online Dude Dad brand, visited the NICU ahead of Father's Day to surprise Engen and other dads with gift bags filled with supplies.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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You are encouraged to sit and lounge and read.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
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This Jamaican restaurant, located just off Main Street, brings Caribbean flavors to Mackinac Island’s solid rotation of restaurants, with planked whitefish and jerk chicken sandwiches.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
-
After Game 4, jerks were throwing things at Victor Wembanyama.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Sensory gardens with calming nature sounds, plants kids are welcome to touch and benches are available to help guests reset in a less stimulating environment.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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On June 10, Mastercard launched Agent Pay for Machines, a payment layer for the high-frequency, low-value transactions machines run — the fractions of a cent traditional cards can't touch.—
Renana Ashkenazi,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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