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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nudging
Cogan appears to be nudging the Supreme Court to change its approach to determining what is and isn’t considered a crime of violence.
—
John Annese, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Cogan appears to be nudging the Supreme Court to change its approach to determining what is and isn’t considered a crime of violence.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
The former is a ring on the bottom of the rock that skids across the ice, and the latter is a band around the sides of the rock that collides with other rocks (ideally knocking an opponent’s rock off the bull’s-eye or nudging your team’s closer to it).
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
Shared decision-making tools that present options in balanced, comprehensible formats can support informed choice without nudging patients toward any particular decision.
—Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
Forcing states to become more cost-conscious also provides motivation for state officials to enforce rather than water down work requirements for the able-bodied, nudging them on a more productive path and away from government dependency.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
When snowflakes began to fall, some stuck their tongues out and laughed, playfully nudging one another.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
After all the years of dreaming and campaigning and nudging the league for an outdoor game, Vinik suffered a major leg fracture during a snowmobiling accident on a trip to Norway with his kids.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The two appeared to exchange words while walking toward security, with Richardson still nudging him and appearing to reach for his face.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
John Annese, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Cogan appears to be nudging the Supreme Court to change its approach to determining what is and isn’t considered a crime of violence.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
The former is a ring on the bottom of the rock that skids across the ice, and the latter is a band around the sides of the rock that collides with other rocks (ideally knocking an opponent’s rock off the bull’s-eye or nudging your team’s closer to it).
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
Shared decision-making tools that present options in balanced, comprehensible formats can support informed choice without nudging patients toward any particular decision.
—Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
Forcing states to become more cost-conscious also provides motivation for state officials to enforce rather than water down work requirements for the able-bodied, nudging them on a more productive path and away from government dependency.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
When snowflakes began to fall, some stuck their tongues out and laughed, playfully nudging one another.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
After all the years of dreaming and campaigning and nudging the league for an outdoor game, Vinik suffered a major leg fracture during a snowmobiling accident on a trip to Norway with his kids.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The two appeared to exchange words while walking toward security, with Richardson still nudging him and appearing to reach for his face.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudging
Verb
-
Tammy Boarman began keeping a jug of bottled water next to the sink for brushing her teeth.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The video shows friends and family washing Vonn's hair in an inflatable basin and later brushing and braiding it.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Sierra Avalanche Center reports high avalanche risk through at least this morning, urging people to avoid travel in or below avalanche terrain.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Pima County sheriff took the unusual step of publicly clearing the family as suspects, urging the public to show compassion toward the victims.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The heat is kissing 90 degrees on a mid-October Friday in Austin, where Bobby Epstein is giving a Jurassic Park-style media tour through the perpetually under construction Circuit of the Americas (COTA) racing grounds.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2026
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There are so many benefits to kissing.—
Susan Spencer,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Buying local products, providing local and state funding sources, supporting agricultural preservation programs, encouraging lawmakers to prioritize the importance of farming and supporting local agriculture education programs are partial solutions.—
Joe Dymek,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
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Your 4th House of Home becomes a deep well as the nurturing Moon conjoins unearthing Pluto there, encouraging you to cleanse closets and clear emotional dust.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudging. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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