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nudges 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of nudge
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nudges

2 of 2

noun

plural of nudge
as in pushes

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 nudges
Verb
Yannick Nézet-Séguin nudges the orchestra’s warmth and saturation into territory that, if not quite gaudy, is certainly gala-worthy, privileging vibrancy over darkness. — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 This device not only warns you of incoming threats (similar to the radio static in previous games) but also gently nudges you in the right direction by showing a garbled feed of landmarks. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 Or a family member nudges you to host for the holidays for the third year in a row. — Melody Wilding, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 General Daily Insight for September 15, 2026 Midday nudges us to choose our priorities. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026 Where the Cayenne’s steering is calibrated so that the road nudges the driver, Bentley’s elbows back at those perturbances. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026 Medicare surcharges are triggered by hard income thresholds assessed on a two-year lookback, and a conversion that nudges an individual a single dollar over a bracket can raise premiums for a full year. — Dana Dunkelberger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Sangare probably nudges playmaker Mathias Jensen out of the starting XI to line up alongside Yehor Yarmoliuk and Mikkel Damsgaard. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Everything about Anna Maria Island nudges you toward taking a deep breath and surrendering to the calm of vacation. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudges
  1. kisses
  2. urges
  3. pushes
  4. brushes
  5. encourages
  6. jerks
  7. touches
  8. jams
Verb
  • Generations of new pop starlets have referenced her most iconic looks on the red carpet, or paid homage to her infamous Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera kisses on stage.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
  • On June 8, Sara took to Instagram to commemorate the special occasion with a series of images featuring her and Noah sharing kisses and cozying up together.
    — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of kisses
Verb
  • Canopy, which urges brands worldwide to spare ancient and endangered forests from their viscose supply chains, could talk extensively about why the process is harmful.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The filing urges a federal judge not to block the ban, ahead of an emergency hearing Wednesday on the news organizations’ request for a temporary order restoring their access.
    — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of urges
Noun
  • Two tush pushes later, quarterback Cutter Boley got over the line for a 24-7 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The last time a non-quarterback won NFL MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012, despite pushes by Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey in recent years.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of pushes
Verb
  • Vicki brushes it off, and even Shannon can’t defend her friend’s callousness.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Fertitta brushes off the scuffle between his president and Meloni.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of brushes
Verb
  • Anh’s protectiveness is apparent from the film’s start, including a scene in which Anh encourages Olive to sit with her in the front of their class.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of encourages
Noun
  • Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 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 jerks
Verb
  • Its work touches professional and talent development, project development, market access, international engagement and exhibition.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The ball first touches the ground, a player or anything else at a point nearer the opponent’s goal line than the passer’s hand.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of touches
Noun
  • Most hoppers require you to place your bills as neat and evenly as possible to avoid jams and other issues, but better hoppers give you some wiggle room.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • If the party gets a little too wild, and someone knocks the jams into the drink, don't worry.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of jams

Browse Nearby Words

nudged
nudges
nudging
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Cite this Entry

“Nudges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudges. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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