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 Trump publicly prodded the Health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 And along with the documentary, you get prodded into recall again. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 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

Better together Industry analysts, experts and insiders have consistently poked holes in the states' argument that the combination of TV networks would create antitrust issues.

— Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
So too were the buildings, including my hotel, which poked through the seven-foot-high snowbanks, looking like an ancient shipwreck covered in shifting sand.

— Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

Residents and visitors have been urged to closely monitor the weather and the watches or warnings as Lowell approaches the islands, the hurricane center said.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026
Ahmed Abdullahi, chair of the Council of Governors, last week urged nurses to call off their strike and give the government time for negotiations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of urged

Verb

Two years later, Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Up to this point, Ghostface victims have been stabbed with Buck 120 hunting knives, crushed by garage doors, shot, electrocuted, and thrown off rooftops in ferocious, balls-to-the-wall Scream fashion.

— Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of stabbed

Verb

Bonino said that during their conversations Francis always encouraged her to bring forward her humanitarian battles, defending those most in need.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of encouraged

Verb

Vaccine policy has become a prominent issue ahead of the November midterms elections, spurred on by a vaccine-skeptical president and health secretary.

— Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026
Producers believe Barrymore has a significant audience that watches her on social media, says Kurtz, and that has spurred the program to take new swings even as the show matures.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of spurred

Verb

Miley Cyrus, open-mouthed, nudged Kerry Washington as the woman in spangles swept by—this was red-carpet clothing, flashbulb clothing, clothing to be seen in once rather than excavated annually from a closet of perennials.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
However, because two of the models that have performed well for Lowell are along the eastern side of the guidance, the hurricane center nudged the track forecast slightly east.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of nudged

Verb

The battle for whether NFL players will be permitted to return to college continues, as both parties have dug their heels in on either side of the issue.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
When punk finally came along, the movie talks about how Townshend, who totally dug the punk scene, tried to cozy up to Johnny Rotten and got nowhere.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of dug

Verb

After the Giants punched their ticket by sweeping two games from the Ports, Haines confirmed that Flora would take the ball one more time in next week’s best-of-3 series against Lake Elsinore.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
In this case, that means getting a shiner to look like he’s been punched while Kirk tweaks the sensors just enough to put the recovered La’an on the trail of the wrong Kirk.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of punched

Browse Nearby Words

prod

prodded

prodder

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“Prodded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodded. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of prodded

verb

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