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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nudge
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
While on a high school field trip to see the British literature art collection at Yale University, a teacher nudged Riccoboni to skip the literature-centric exhibit and instead pop into a nearby gallery to see Hockney’s work.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Dec. 2025
If your current nail salon already offers The GelBottle’s BIAB range, just give them a nudge to upgrade to the Hard versions.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Verb
Blundy first bought into Victoria’s Secret in 2022 and has been trying to nudge the company both behind the scenes and in public.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
While on a high school field trip to see the British literature art collection at Yale University, a teacher nudged Riccoboni to skip the literature-centric exhibit and instead pop into a nearby gallery to see Hockney’s work.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
With a nudge from Aurora and the school's guidance counselor, Lilly-Anne Brigente (Hemmens), Isaiah decides to save the Christmas show and jumps in as director.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Dec. 2025
If your current nail salon already offers The GelBottle’s BIAB range, just give them a nudge to upgrade to the Hard versions.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
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Turn it back upright, using the bristles to brush away the remaining snow.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Restore Sweatpants These classic grey sweatpants will surely become the cornerstone of your winter travel wardrobe with their thick, brushed terry fabric and four-way stretch design.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Crime Stoppers is urging the public not to approach the suspect, who should be considered armed and dangerous.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Pink and black, a similar color pairing, is one that Gage urges steering clear of in this day and age.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Alberto later credited Fernando for giving him the push to choose Indiana.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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The strategy reflects McDonald's broader push to lean on nostalgia and popular partnerships to drive traffic and loyalty at a time when consumers are growing more cautious about spending, the outlet reported, citing a recent earnings call.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These are distinctly American, Texan to be specific, where they’re called shrimp kisses.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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In the photo dump Perry shared to Instagram on January 7, the singer posted a photo of herself kissing Trudeau, whom she has been linked to since last summer.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The teeth also captured climate shifts such as the Late Antique Little Ice Age and the Medieval Climate Anomaly, which might have encouraged some increase in migration into England.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
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Those who experienced the earthquake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For those with less-briny palates, a fine jerk chicken and a number of steak cuts are also available.—
Jesse Ashlock,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
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Mike’s older sister, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), is our entry point to Hawkins High; a pretty striver, she’s recently been distracted from academics by a fling with popular jerk Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Running backs with 300-plus touches the previous season don’t generally repeat that volume the following season.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The index was last seen trading at an all-time high, while Spain's IBEX 35 also rose to a record high in early trade after touching on a record price in the previous session.—
Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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