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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nudges
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
This perspective helps explain why small changes in choice environments – nudges such as placing salad bars directly in cafeteria serving lines or listing vegetarian options first on menus – can significantly shift behavior without forcing anyone to choose differently.
—Alejandro Hortal-Sánchez, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Commitments may need clearer promises, especially as the Moon in your tender 8th house nudges Jupiter in your busy 2nd house.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2026
Everyday exchanges feel softer as romantic Venus kisses elusive Neptune in your 3rd House of Contact, which nudges you to speak from the heart.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
In effect, the system nudges seniors toward dependency rather than prevention.
—Saul Anuzis, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Bill nudges a bottle to the center of the table.
—David Cook, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
That differential, while still high, at least nudges the concept out of the instantly dismissible category.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Any tariff shift moves shipping volumes, squeezes supply chains, and eventually nudges consumer prices — but those ripples take time to reach shelves and paychecks.
—James Ward, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Team priorities could collide as the concerned Moon in your 11th House of Aspirations nudges reckless Mars in your 5th House of Risks.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
This perspective helps explain why small changes in choice environments – nudges such as placing salad bars directly in cafeteria serving lines or listing vegetarian options first on menus – can significantly shift behavior without forcing anyone to choose differently.
—Alejandro Hortal-Sánchez, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Commitments may need clearer promises, especially as the Moon in your tender 8th house nudges Jupiter in your busy 2nd house.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2026
Everyday exchanges feel softer as romantic Venus kisses elusive Neptune in your 3rd House of Contact, which nudges you to speak from the heart.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
In effect, the system nudges seniors toward dependency rather than prevention.
—Saul Anuzis, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Bill nudges a bottle to the center of the table.
—David Cook, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
That differential, while still high, at least nudges the concept out of the instantly dismissible category.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Any tariff shift moves shipping volumes, squeezes supply chains, and eventually nudges consumer prices — but those ripples take time to reach shelves and paychecks.
—James Ward, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudges
Verb
-
Points are awarded by zone, from 0 to 5; gutter balls subtract a point, while a ball that kisses the stake earns a perfect 10.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Robert Ballard hugs and kisses family members before deployment.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Austrian Hospice urges groups of Christian pilgrims to book 16 months ahead.—
Sammy Westfall,
Washington Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For those struggling with depression or urges to self harm, help is always available.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Vancouver would get one more goal in, but the Frost held off any other offensive pushes from them to officially punch their ticket to the Walter Cup Playoffs in front of the hometown crowd.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Trump pushes 'country-saving' voter ID bill.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Allure,
24 Mar. 2026
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When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Referred to as micro-celebrations, this trend encourages us to get together more frequently and, sometimes, just because.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
9 Apr. 2026
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While Mars wants to sprint forward, Luna encourages strategy, discipline and pragmatism.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the new sequel, Grace teams with her estranged younger sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), as they’re hunted by four elite families full of murderous jerks scrambling to become the High Seat of a Council that controls the world.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
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Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Becky Shaw touches something tender and doesn't stop there.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
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The restaurant doesn’t represent a single Asian cuisine but touches many cultures, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian among them.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This breathless, busy sci-fi adventure ram-jams through space, time and the past 50 years of popular cinema history as our characters bop from planet to planet, making various stops and side quests.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
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Brustad’s husband of 56 years runs the audio and visual equipment for the community jams.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudges. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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