1
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
accidentally nudged me as they squeezed past
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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
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
The collision nudged the asteroid and modified its trajectory.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 June 2025
And in an era with pesky inflation headaches, California’s varied wage gains – especially, the bigger raises for the bigger paychecks – are one of the forces nudging up economic anxieties statewide.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 June 2025
River have a tradition of playing slick football going back to La Maquina, the legendary side of the late ’30s and early ’40s, which nudged South American football forward.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Noun
Split view of Ducky the English cocker spaniel nudging owner and sitting at the top of the stairs.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
The collision nudged the asteroid and modified its trajectory.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 June 2025
And in an era with pesky inflation headaches, California’s varied wage gains – especially, the bigger raises for the bigger paychecks – are one of the forces nudging up economic anxieties statewide.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 June 2025
River have a tradition of playing slick football going back to La Maquina, the legendary side of the late ’30s and early ’40s, which nudged South American football forward.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
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But keeping your mouth pristine requires more than just brushing your teeth twice a day.—
Alexis Berger,
SELF,
23 June 2025
-
Use it to gently brush the microphone ports on each hearing aid, usually located on the backside of the device.—
Christopher Null,
Wired News,
22 June 2025
Verb
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In December, the libertarian Cato Institute published an article urging Trump to privatize the system.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
27 June 2025
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Then comes a video of Sam Smith as a toddler being urged to kick a ball in the hallway of the family home, followed straight after by the striker’s acrobatic finish to put Wrexham 2-0 up just three minutes on from Rathbone’s opener.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
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For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.—
Aamer Madhani,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
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The mandate has been touted by Republicans, including President Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.—
Sara Cline,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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After the buzzer sounded, Pope ran over to hug his wife, Lee Anne, and kissed his daughters near the bench before running off to a TV interview.—
Jesse Temple,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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In the video, baby Sofia can be seen giggling in her bouncer as Ree sings, plays and tickles her, as well as kissing the happy infant, who looks cute in a floral sleeper.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Popular online influencers with millions of followers have encouraged Holocaust denial.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
30 June 2025
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The bills’ sponsors and advocates are encouraged by the bipartisan support received so far.—
Lauren Jessop,
The Washington Examiner,
30 June 2025
Noun
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But in politics — as in life —there’s a fine line between being genuine and being a jerk.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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Smoky, spicy jerk is also on the menu in the Pulled Jerk Pork & Coconut Shrimp appetizer at Eleanor’s at Sandals Grande Antigua.—
Sandals Resorts,
AFAR Media,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Variants of the trend also touched on body shaming.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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The three women separately touch on this contention in society, pointing to discriminatory practices that led to policies like the CROWN Act.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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