1
as in brushing
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 urging
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 nudging
Your 9th House of Expansion is energized by Venus and Chiron aligning, nudging you to choose growth over perfection in an expanding field.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
But that respite was short-lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, nudging back over $100 a barrel Tuesday, up nearly 40% since the war started.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
In some cases, the compression worked in the festival’s favor, nudging people to leave overcrowded screenings and redirect their attention to other corners of the event.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
When the Rockets called a time out, the Lakers bench all ran over to Doncic, hugging him, slapping him and James nudging him for a job very well done.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Snap decisions may become necessary with this Moon-Mercury conjunction in your 10th House of Motivation, nudging you to name your goal and take that next step.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2026
Yet Breaking the Waves was an art-house sensation, scoring an Oscar nomination for Watson and nudging Skarsgård into contention for big-budget Hollywood roles.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
According to Stephen Colbert, O’Brien had been nudging him toward the exit for a while.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
But that respite was short-lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, nudging back over $100 a barrel Tuesday, up nearly 40% since the war started.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
In some cases, the compression worked in the festival’s favor, nudging people to leave overcrowded screenings and redirect their attention to other corners of the event.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
When the Rockets called a time out, the Lakers bench all ran over to Doncic, hugging him, slapping him and James nudging him for a job very well done.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Snap decisions may become necessary with this Moon-Mercury conjunction in your 10th House of Motivation, nudging you to name your goal and take that next step.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2026
Yet Breaking the Waves was an art-house sensation, scoring an Oscar nomination for Watson and nudging Skarsgård into contention for big-budget Hollywood roles.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
According to Stephen Colbert, O’Brien had been nudging him toward the exit for a while.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudging
Verb
-
And in a way that feels fitting, Hart is brushing it off while inching closer to a statistical territory few players — even the greatest shooters — have ever touched.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Cabott suggests brushing with Sheila Stotts brushes, which are her favorite, and concludes that the combination of revamping your hair care routine products and tools is a great way to ensure healthy hair sans split ends.—
Danielle Sinay,
Glamour,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The United States declared Afghanistan a state sponsor of wrongful detention earlier in March, urging the Taliban to release Coyle and other hostages.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The tension escalated when Carolyn received a frantic call from her sister, Lauren Bessette (Sydney Lemmon), urging her to turn on the TV.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s head coach Reid kissing the Super Bowl trophy, quarterback Mahomes throwing a pass while horizontal in midair and Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson puffing on a cigarette in an image football fans know well.—
Lisa Gutierrez
March 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Sure, Jesse puts his hand over his mouth when kissing Kyle, and Jesse and West give each other more of a nuzzle, but these kids don’t care at all about the homophobia.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Let soak, encouraging sand and soil to sink, before removing.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The Cubs are encouraging Taillon to really push his intensity level on his bullpen days but then hardly throw the following day, instead focusing on just moving around and being athletic.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudging. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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