1
as in kisses
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 urges
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
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Recent Examples of nudges
Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026
The app reads flights and stays, checks ahead, then nudges travelers toward choices that may save them from last‑minute airport purchases or an overstuffed suitcase filled with the wrong gear.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026
The scene also nudges toward Madonna's own influence across mediums, in a short shot that features her lifting her arm over a dryer to recall a similar image from her 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
Even her mother, touchingly, nudges Suzanna from the nest, refusing for her daughter’s sake to cling to their weekly routine.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Stelo, Lingo and Levels each promise to turn real-time glucose data into something useful — whether that’s tighter diabetes management or a clearer picture of how breakfast, stress or a bad night of sleep nudges your metabolism.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
The hormone, in turn, nudges the brain back toward waking once the night’s repair work is done.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026
As Benson continues asking questions about the victim, Jasmyn nudges a sign that shows her prices for autographs and pictures and says that her time is valuable.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Doing so activates the vagus nerve and nudges the nervous system from fight-or-flight back toward rest.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
The same engine that nudges one shopper up can hand another a discount to close a wavering sale.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026
The app reads flights and stays, checks ahead, then nudges travelers toward choices that may save them from last‑minute airport purchases or an overstuffed suitcase filled with the wrong gear.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026
The scene also nudges toward Madonna's own influence across mediums, in a short shot that features her lifting her arm over a dryer to recall a similar image from her 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
Even her mother, touchingly, nudges Suzanna from the nest, refusing for her daughter’s sake to cling to their weekly routine.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Stelo, Lingo and Levels each promise to turn real-time glucose data into something useful — whether that’s tighter diabetes management or a clearer picture of how breakfast, stress or a bad night of sleep nudges your metabolism.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
The hormone, in turn, nudges the brain back toward waking once the night’s repair work is done.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026
As Benson continues asking questions about the victim, Jasmyn nudges a sign that shows her prices for autographs and pictures and says that her time is valuable.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Doing so activates the vagus nerve and nudges the nervous system from fight-or-flight back toward rest.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudges
Verb
-
Everyone offers their name and kisses everyone else, and women scrape their lipstick off other people’s cheeks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Sofia Carson blows kisses to the camera during the amfAR Gala Cannes 2026 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 21.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
The website also urges those who sign up to check what time each coffee shop is open for business before visiting.—
Anne Ewbank,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
-
Flake urges them to make the hard step of backing Collins as an act of principle across lines of party.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The chambers’ compromise pushes that change into next year’s budget as well.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
-
Which makes even Monday’s subtle pushes for better coordination with Israel very notable, given the usual lack of daylight between the GOP and Netanyahu.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Bryce Harper, star slugger, the Phillie Phanatic's best friend, and baseball hero to children of all ages, brushes his teeth.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
These stocks have climbed for weeks as the market brushes off the narrative that AI is a threat to the cybersecurity industry.—
Morgan Chittum,Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The scene of the two boys discussing Kayda is kind of funny, especially the number of times Zach laughs and encourages Bryce to go for it.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
The new standard encourages companies to prioritize direct emissions reductions across operations and value chains, while at the same time adjusting systems within their operation where direct decarbonization isn’t possible.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
After Game 4, jerks were throwing things at Victor Wembanyama.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
Something from this article might put me on some Ben Shapiro list, where a bunch of jerks literally will just call me ‘f****t’ or worse on my social media.—
William Earl,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Beyond stock selection, Jim touches on portfolio construction and the characteristics that distinguish an ordinary investment from a truly exceptional one.—
Paulina Likos,Zev Fima,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
-
And what begins as a bonding moment between Beulah and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) quickly turns tense when Beulah touches a nerve by bringing up the Dutton family's complicated past.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Achieving it in reality would be brutally hard because the target moves, hides, jams, uses decoys, and fights back.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
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Other Uses Yaupon is most commonly enjoyed as a tea, but it's also used in some gins, and foods like ice cream, plus the plant's ripe berries can be turned into jams and jellies.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudges. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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