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
As if nudged, Olie raised her head and began to speak.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
Young, at the time working as a pizza maker at a Wegmans grocery store, briefly opened the door and then tried to shut it, taking out the knife when McEvilley nudged it back.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Those facilities tend to be cheaper to run than inpatient hospitals, and patients increasingly choose them, or are nudged by their insurance to do so.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
After Nick Battiola reported his abuse to law enforcement, Malin frequently nudged prosecutors to take it more seriously, his family said.
—Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Had the theater chains nudged the cost of movie tickets just a bit too high?
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
By September, parents who had lost children to suicide were testifying before Congress that chatbots had nudged their kids into the act.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2025
Analysts and tourism officials note that rising prices, a weaker Canadian dollar, and heightened political tensions have nudged many travelers to choose domestic trips within Canada or alternative international destinations instead.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025
Federal briefings note that Mexican conservation and storage have nudged Mead a couple of feet higher, buying time for American users tied to the reservoir’s shortage tiers.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
Young, at the time working as a pizza maker at a Wegmans grocery store, briefly opened the door and then tried to shut it, taking out the knife when McEvilley nudged it back.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Those facilities tend to be cheaper to run than inpatient hospitals, and patients increasingly choose them, or are nudged by their insurance to do so.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
After Nick Battiola reported his abuse to law enforcement, Malin frequently nudged prosecutors to take it more seriously, his family said.
—Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Had the theater chains nudged the cost of movie tickets just a bit too high?
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
By September, parents who had lost children to suicide were testifying before Congress that chatbots had nudged their kids into the act.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2025
Analysts and tourism officials note that rising prices, a weaker Canadian dollar, and heightened political tensions have nudged many travelers to choose domestic trips within Canada or alternative international destinations instead.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025
Federal briefings note that Mexican conservation and storage have nudged Mead a couple of feet higher, buying time for American users tied to the reservoir’s shortage tiers.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudged
Verb
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Meanwhile, her top layers were brushed over the right side of her head and tucked behind her ears.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The slick material keeps chafing to a minimum during workouts, and the brushed inside is so soft against the skin and helps keep cold air out and your body heat in.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fans are urged to wear white at Ford Field.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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During that visit, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo urged Francis in unusually frank terms to take concrete action.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The actress could be seen posing in the snow with her pregnant belly out as Allen kissed her stomach.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Zohran Mamdani turned and kissed his wife, Rama Duwaji, a stylish and formidable artist.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The city’s emergency overflow shelter is available to adults over 18, with capacity for dogs in kennels, but the office encouraged people who need a warm place to sleep to seek primary shelters as a first option.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Nov. 2025
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During the end of the latter track, Lauper encouraged audience members to sing along and brought Salt-n-Pepa onstage to join in.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudged. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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