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 But decades later the three, prodded by Elvira, go on a quest to understand what really happened to them and their parents. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 7 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 The dynamic has prodded PG&E to ramp up efforts to upgrade and expand its electrical system in the South Bay and elsewhere. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodded

Verb

After a scrappy passage of play in which Morocco failed to clear their lines, Desire Doue poked a loose ball to Mbappe on the left edge of the area.

— Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 July 2026
But Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata stuck up his left foot, just in front of Neuer, and poked the ball into the net.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 27 June 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

While the administration had urged the court to only decide for now that bans are allowed and not get into whether they’re required, officials are already anticipating the next round.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 8 July 2026
And while this is a special occasion, we’re urged to get a little messy with our food — to use our hands, to paint with a salad, to draw on a cookie.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of urged

Verb

Jordan Harbst was riding his scooter along the Greenbelt when 41-year-old Ross Wardlaw allegedly stepped into his path and stabbed him to death, according to previous Statesman reporting.

— Carolyn Komatsoulis Updated July 13, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2026
Aziel Zacapala, the Rosemead High School student who was fatally stabbed in El Monte on Friday, July 10, 2026.

— Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Definition of stabbed

Verb

Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.

— CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Readers should not rely solely on the content of this article and are encouraged to seek professional advice tailored to their specific circumstances.

— Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of encouraged

Verb

The band headlined a May 28, 1976, date that was cobbled together with little advance at Riviera Theatre, where an enthusiastic crowd spurred three encores.

— Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
The arrest spurred South Bay protests of the immigration enforcement effort last year.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Definition of spurred

Browse Nearby Words

prod

prodded

prodder

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Prodded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodded. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of prodded

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on prodded

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

yaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes