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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nudging
As the new month begins on October 1st, Juno enters Sagittarius and lights up your communication and curiosity sector, nudging you to speak from your gut instead of your script.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
Douthat talks to a wide range of guests, nudging them toward unexpectedly cosmic discussions of good and evil and the future of humanity.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Think of it like a dimmer switch for your brain, nudging you towards sleep rather than forcing it.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025
Your public persona or professional trajectory could hit a dead end, nudging you to shake things up and go against the status quo.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Even nudging up your savings rate by 1% to 2% a year and directing those dollars into tax-advantaged accounts can add up over time.
—Katie Klingensmith, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Brook Health can respond to the data in real time—nudging patients to remind them when to take their vitals and providing health recommendations when needed.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
According to a leading space researcher, the project involves launching a spacecraft to collide with a small asteroid located tens of millions of miles away, with the goal of nudging its orbit by just over an inch.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
In any event, this retrograde is nudging you to choose quality over quantity.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
Douthat talks to a wide range of guests, nudging them toward unexpectedly cosmic discussions of good and evil and the future of humanity.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Think of it like a dimmer switch for your brain, nudging you towards sleep rather than forcing it.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025
Your public persona or professional trajectory could hit a dead end, nudging you to shake things up and go against the status quo.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Even nudging up your savings rate by 1% to 2% a year and directing those dollars into tax-advantaged accounts can add up over time.
—Katie Klingensmith, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Brook Health can respond to the data in real time—nudging patients to remind them when to take their vitals and providing health recommendations when needed.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
According to a leading space researcher, the project involves launching a spacecraft to collide with a small asteroid located tens of millions of miles away, with the goal of nudging its orbit by just over an inch.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
In any event, this retrograde is nudging you to choose quality over quantity.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudging
Verb
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Instead, let your hair air dry for 20 to 30 minutes and then use it starting at the root of your hair, brushing in a downward movement.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to one week; rewarm before tossing or brushing on any protein.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rachel Goldberg-Polin emerged as a moral voice, urging an end to the war and healing for Israel's internal divisions.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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The city of Evanston, an urban suburb of Chicago, issued a statement warning its residents of impending raids by ICE agents and urging them to report sightings of law enforcement.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pictures from inside the event showed an unusually effusive Victoria kissing David as her Paris Fashion Week show came to an end.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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After the screening, video circulated online of the True Blood alum, wearing a white Magliano T-shirt with an image of a boot hovering over a man's outstretched tongue, hugging Pascal and kissing him on the cheek while the cast received a standing ovation at the screening.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Venus is wrapping up in Virgo in your adventure sector, encouraging you to expand through learning, travel, or fresh perspectives.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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Croft urged schools to formally teach digital literacy and parents to reinforce it at home by encouraging keyboard use and balanced screen time.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudging. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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