1
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
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2
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
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Recent Examples of prodded
When prodded about the inevitable backlash to his more expensive proposals, Mamdani shrugged.
—
Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
After Kempes opened the scoring with a clever sliding finish past the advancing Jan Jongbloed, Argentine goalkeeper Fillol was caught too wide for Dick Nanninga’s headed equaliser, and was similarly too far out when Dutch forward Rob Rensenbrink prodded against the post in stoppage time.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
That meant Hufanga spent a good chunk of the offseason not just learning a new system, but getting poked and prodded by his new coaches and running mate Jones.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
The brewery company lost a financial partner recently, a departure that prodded the partners to embark on the complete shutdown of the business and the dismissal of all its workers.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
As much as analyst Jessica Reif Erlich prodded, Woodbury declined to give numbers of any sort for Epic post-launch.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
But Voccola said he was prodded into action after the City Commission voted 3-2 in June to postpone the November 2025 election to 2026 without voter approval.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Naked people are collared, bound, prodded, whipped, ridden like horses, roasted over spits.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Those clients and patients will often walk in the door with preconceived beliefs about how their therapy should go or is going, spurred and prodded by what AI has told them.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
After Kempes opened the scoring with a clever sliding finish past the advancing Jan Jongbloed, Argentine goalkeeper Fillol was caught too wide for Dick Nanninga’s headed equaliser, and was similarly too far out when Dutch forward Rob Rensenbrink prodded against the post in stoppage time.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
That meant Hufanga spent a good chunk of the offseason not just learning a new system, but getting poked and prodded by his new coaches and running mate Jones.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
The brewery company lost a financial partner recently, a departure that prodded the partners to embark on the complete shutdown of the business and the dismissal of all its workers.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
As much as analyst Jessica Reif Erlich prodded, Woodbury declined to give numbers of any sort for Epic post-launch.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
But Voccola said he was prodded into action after the City Commission voted 3-2 in June to postpone the November 2025 election to 2026 without voter approval.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Naked people are collared, bound, prodded, whipped, ridden like horses, roasted over spits.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Those clients and patients will often walk in the door with preconceived beliefs about how their therapy should go or is going, spurred and prodded by what AI has told them.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodded
Verb
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Tupac unlocked the front door and poked his head inside.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The singer Sombr even poked fun at the concept in the middle of a concert this year.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Martin was urged to dye their hair darker so that Alex could be taken more seriously.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
12 Oct. 2025
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Governors like Kathy Hochul of New York and Wes Moore of Maryland stopped short of declaring emergencies but still urged vigilance.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Johnson allegedly then stabbed her several times, according to Kearny Police, per the outlets.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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During a confrontation, Bryant stabbed K9 Roam multiple times, police said.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lastly, the scholars chalk the tremendous success of the books up to Rowling’s evocative writing, which encouraged young readers to be creative while holding their attention for long periods of time.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Oct. 2025
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Those who noticed the quake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Madagascar has seen weeks of protests, initially spurred by shortages of water and power but now encompassing deeper unhappiness over corruption, inflation, and high unemployment.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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In the 19th century, asylums were springing up across the United States — a building boom spurred by a changing understanding of mental illness.—
Jen Rose Smith,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Julian and Penelope nudged me for a response in unison.—
Sofía Pereda,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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Its success nudged competitors to make their own EVs more enticing, and Tesla capitalized on its head start, continuing to develop its tech and create new cars, including 2017’s Model 3, which also made TIME’s list.—
Merrill Fabry,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Things aren’t about to get easier, and the Sabres have already dug themselves a hole.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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During the project, excavators removed about eight billion pounds of rock for DigIndy’s tunnels, which total about 28 miles in length and were dug 250 feet underground.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The book also details several other incidents that his children relayed to him, including one where Preston claimed that Spears punched him in the face.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
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The victim resisted, was punched, and attempted to flee while calling a friend for help.—
Phillipe Vieira,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prodded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodded. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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