1
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
a public outcry eventually prodded the politicians into action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stimulus
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 prod
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Still, hardline conservatives in the House are prodding the Senate to try the talking filibuster move.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2026
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
The Talons are a practical tool designed for fire management, intended for people who like to poke and prod and arrange the flame for ultimate combustibility and efficiency.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prod
Verb
Other officials, too, prodded the IDNR after they were caught unaware about the possibility that the marina would not open for the 2026 season.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Still, hardline conservatives in the House are prodding the Senate to try the talking filibuster move.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
In an entry hall, kites overhead, frozen mid-swoop, are by Yinka Shonibare, a Nigerian Brit who works in batik as a prod at colonialism.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
The Talons are a practical tool designed for fire management, intended for people who like to poke and prod and arrange the flame for ultimate combustibility and efficiency.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prod
Verb
-
Social media users have also been poking fun at how popular the jackets are among the Asian diaspora.—
Stephy Chung,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Start by checking the soil’s moisture by poking a finger 2 inches into the top of the soil.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
Her wildly optimistic logic is that fiscal stimulus will spark growth, and that the private sector will raise long-stagnant wages, thereby increasing tax revenues.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Smart polymers already exist and can respond to such stimuli, altering their color or shape and then returning to their original state.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If this new stadium spurs surrounding economic development, not to mention environmental cleanup, there will be benefits for the entire region.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Canty and Lally churn with monomaniacal might, spurring Lewis to play bold, declarative melodies that Piorg answers with force.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are more than 150 miles of tunnels across nine underground levels, and guests are encouraged to lick the walls.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Virgo The Saturn-Neptune conjunction occurs in your eighth house of intimacy, intimate bonds, and shared resources, encouraging you to grapple with boundaries and limitations tied to your closest relationships.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Long takes and static formal frames compel us to stand down stimulation-seeking tendencies.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
According to a news release, the system can offer red light therapy, molecular hydrogen inhalation, micro-impact vibration and sound therapy with vagus nerve stimulation.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Brockton Police arrested a man who allegedly stabbed a co-worker at Wollaston Alloys Monday night.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
-
He is accused of stabbing 30-year-old Eliza Morales inside her apartment and setting it on fire.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Just like a stationary pendulum, when nudged, returns to its stationary state, a quantum system, too, when disturbed, returns to its balanced state.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
20 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
Cite this Entry
“Prod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prod. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
