1
as in brushed
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 urged
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 nudged
Creating rentals aided lower-income families and nudged rents down.
—
Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
June was restated to show a net job loss of 13,000—the first decline since 2020—while July’s gain was nudged higher, leaving overall employment 21,000 lower than previously reported.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The central bank has nudged up its short-term policy rate and scaled back bond-buying operations, all signaling that keeping yields contained will be a tough ask.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The illusion of infinite choice online masks a narrowing of exposure to new ideas — millions scrolling different feeds, but being nudged toward the same few ways of thinking.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Those who were nudged toward valuing youthfulness saw more of it in themselves and in their friends.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Powell’s comments on Friday nudged major brokerages to revise their expectations, with Barclays, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank currently seeing a 25-basis-point reduction in borrowing costs next month.
—Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2025
Virgo energy is methodical, so you’re being nudged to address the habits that drain you versus the ones that truly heal you.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
The latter was a delightful car, comprising only a modest four-cylinder engine that, at its best, barely nudged 100 hp.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025
Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
June was restated to show a net job loss of 13,000—the first decline since 2020—while July’s gain was nudged higher, leaving overall employment 21,000 lower than previously reported.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The central bank has nudged up its short-term policy rate and scaled back bond-buying operations, all signaling that keeping yields contained will be a tough ask.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The illusion of infinite choice online masks a narrowing of exposure to new ideas — millions scrolling different feeds, but being nudged toward the same few ways of thinking.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Those who were nudged toward valuing youthfulness saw more of it in themselves and in their friends.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Powell’s comments on Friday nudged major brokerages to revise their expectations, with Barclays, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank currently seeing a 25-basis-point reduction in borrowing costs next month.
—Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2025
Virgo energy is methodical, so you’re being nudged to address the habits that drain you versus the ones that truly heal you.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
The latter was a delightful car, comprising only a modest four-cylinder engine that, at its best, barely nudged 100 hp.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudged
Verb
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Not deep-fried or marketed alongside the latest trend — who knows whether that sausage was brushed in tallow or if the cooks avoided seed oils for the flavorful vinaigrette on those tomatoes, those kaleidoscopic tomatoes.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
After 10 seconds or so of screaming, Hernandez brushed at his face.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The 26-year-old has been Arsenal’s captain since the summer of 2022, but in August, Adams urged Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to strip the Norway international of the Arsenal captaincy and hand the role to Declan Rice.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Chad Bauman, executive director at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, urged the committee to reject the funding allocations in the hopes of obtaining more money for the theater company.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Hollywood Reporter published their accounts, which included one woman’s claim that the actor waited for her outside of a restroom and forcefully pushed her against a wall and kissed her.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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The afternoons of those years wore gold like jewelry, and the sun kissed our skin as dust rose behind us in small clouds that the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mixing and matching is encouraged.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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Those who experienced the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudged. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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