nudge 1 of 2

verb

ˈnəj How to pronounce nudge (audio)
Definition of nudgenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nudge

2 of 2

noun

as in push

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nudge
Verb
However, its growing mysteries nudge it, paradoxically, toward the literal, leaving it with few places to go. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 In a normal rom-com, this is where Jack would exit stage left as the martyr who nudged Wendy toward her true soulmate. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
The 25-year-old Super Bowl MVP doesn’t need much instruction, save for a nudge here or there about keeping his eyes up and focused or making sure his hips are lower than his tacklers. — Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 The longtime couple, Kathy and Jim, are hoping to find a nurse named Delia, whose sweet nudge became the foundation for their decades-long union, according to a Monday, July 27 press release from Canadian public health authority Fraser Health. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
  1. brush
  2. urge
  3. push
  4. kiss
  5. encourage
  6. jerk
  7. touch
Verb
  • Water is something children and adults use every single day from brushing teeth, taking showers, washing hands, to drinking water after playing outside.
    — Kristin Tsumura Tsai, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The story unfolds from there while Daisy brushes powder onto Martha’s face.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of brush
Verb
  • Residents and visitors have been urged to closely monitor the weather and the watches or warnings as Lowell approaches the islands, the hurricane center said.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami urged residents to be off the roads by midday on Monday.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of urge
Noun
  • The company describes the effort as part of a broader push to increase the pace of hypersonic testing.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Michigan’s offensive line, a unit that was expected to be a strength, generated little push against Western Michigan’s defensive front.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of push
Verb
  • Pattinson’s partner Suki Waterhouse, who cheered perhaps loudest after the credits rolled and leaned forward to kiss Pattinson as the crowd applauded his tour-de-force performance.
    — Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In video obtained by TMZ, Bunnie Xo kissed 24-year-old reality star Dylan Wolf in Nashville at Jelly Roll's bar.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of kiss
Verb
  • Bunch said that one of his goals in the head role was to encourage Americans to embrace ambiguity and recognize that America is a complicated, multifaceted nation.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The stated purpose would be to encourage more people to fill out the forms without fear of having their privacy violated.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of encourage
Noun
  • The novel also takes an unsentimental look at Jamaica, a country that, let the Sandals ads tell it, is mostly pristine beaches, jerk chicken, and Bob Marley’s One Love on a perpetual loop.
    — Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Officials say no human contact with the bat is known but urge anyone touched by a bat near Curry Village around May 18 to seek immediate medical advice, noting rabies is fatal yet preventable.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Once parts are cut, technicians will use non-destructive sensors to inspect their internal density and geometry without touching the sensitive surfaces.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of touch

Browse Nearby Words

nude
nudge
nudged
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Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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