PRODDED Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

prodded

verb

past tense of prod

as in poked

to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object kept prodding the sheep with a staff to move along faster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in urged

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

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 prodded And along with the documentary, you get prodded into recall again. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 On cross-examination, defense attorney Blair Berk prodded Wallace to admit that her chemical analysis — done months after prosecutors believe Burke turned his garage into an abattoir — did not definitively prove the presence of blood. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 Goldfarb rhetorically asks himself when prodded for response. — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Rested during a dead-rubber loss to Turkey, Balogun returned Wednesday for the round-of-32 clash with Bosnia and prodded home the opening strike in that 2-0 triumph. — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 July 2026 Later in the second half, Olise teed up Ousmane Dembele with prodded outside-of-the-boot passes after picking up loose balls in front of the defence. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Lawyers for Julia Ormond are looking to have the court issue a bench warrant for the arrest of CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz for walking out of a deposition after being prodded about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. — Winston Cho For The Hollywood Reporter, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 Lawyers for Julia Ormond are looking to have the court issue a bench warrant for the arrest of CAA cofounder Michael Ovitz for walking out of a deposition after being prodded about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2026 Some lawmakers openly prodded Netanyahu on Monday to move closer to the US by seeking to bolster negotiations on winding down the war. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodded

Verb

Offering a clever twist, the warm cake is poked with the handle of a wooden spoon, creating space for a vanilla-pineapple pudding to sink deep into the crumb.

— Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Let sit at room temperature until buns are puffed and expanded to edges of muffin cups (dough will spring back when poked but hold a slight indentation), 25–35 minutes.

— Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

Leipzig had locker room issues a few years ago, when a few players were regarded as not pulling their weight — and Schlager was one of the senior figures who challenged them and urged them to improve their mentality.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 21 July 2026
SpaceX shares rose about 7% on Tuesday, on pace to snap a seven-session losing streak after analysts at Macquarie reiterated their outperform rating and urged investors to buy the recent weakness.

— Yun Li, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Definition of urged

Verb

Carlos Dominguez stabbed two people to death in Davis and nearly killed a third.

— Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21, were fatally stabbed in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho, authorities said.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Definition of stabbed

Verb

More than 48 hours later, the team hasn’t released any MRI results and Bader has declined to provide public comments, despite being encouraged by the club to talk to reporters or make a statement.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Cruz and Bardem have always encouraged their children’s creative pursuits.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of encouraged

Verb

That effort was spurred by what union members claim were execrable working conditions to which they were subjected during the recent heat wave that gripped London.

— News Desk, Artforum, 30 July 2026
Pragiwaksono’s arrival in America spurred something of a comedic identity crisis.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of spurred

Verb

Yes, Governor Kazuo Ueda nudged rates to a 31‑year high of 1% in mid‑June.

— William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
No team has embraced the Rubik’s Cube nature of the three-team trade like the Rays, who have nudged their way into five of the past six three-way swaps.

— Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of nudged

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prod

prodded

prodder

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“Prodded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodded. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of prodded

verb

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