1
as in stabs
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
2
as in urges
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prods
Verb
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The video shows Zarutska sit in a seat in front of Brown, who fixates on her and after several minutes pulls out a knife and stabs her several times in the neck, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025 -
Harrison stabs Prater with the needle and knocks the billionaire out.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ultimately, Adair urges parents to discourage kids from chasing food trends.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
9 Sep. 2025
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The report also urges Canadian media to go beyond Black History Month to showcase homegrown Black talent and stories year-round, and to set goals on hiring and promoting black talent in organizations.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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To Robin Wright’s multimillionaire gallery owner Laura, her son’s new girlfriend is a sleazy opportunist, a gold digger who lies about her academic and professional credentials and goads Laura by going down on Daniel (Laurie Davidson) in Laura’s house with the door open.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The brand’s giant green owl mascot dances badly, makes obscure pop culture references and pokes fun at the company’s push notifications.—
Leeron Walter,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Like his contemporaries, Meyers often pokes fun at the ongoing actions of the president and his administration on Late Night.—
Emlyn Travis Updated,
EW.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Combined, the ingredients are a powerhouse that encourages surface skin cell turnover to give complexions an overall smooth, supple appearance.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
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Through speculative thinking and the power of the arts, this collection encourages us to see ourselves outside of the constraints that persist today.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Using a mouse model lacking the Cntnap2 gene, scientists recorded heightened activity in the RTN when animals faced stimuli such as light flashes or air puffs.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Sep. 2025
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Six years later, scientists at Yale showed that at the precise moment of conscious awareness of stimuli, a wave of electrical activity flows from the visual cortex located at the rear of the brain to the frontal lobes.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Exercise spurs insulin sensitivity (the opposite of insulin resistance) by assisting insulin signaling in your muscles to take in glucose and use it as fuel.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While many growth factors are human-derived (which, naturally, spurs some ethical concerns), Bioeffect’s come from barley, which Brezavscek says are still effective.—
Arden Fanning Andrews,
Vogue,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Loneliness is the healthy emotion that nudges us to get off the couch and go be with people.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Starbucks, for example, nudges users toward loading funds onto a digital gift card by offering more rewards.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Prods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prods. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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