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
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 prods
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
The two do some earnest bonding over being child actors and their mutual love of John Cassavettes and A Woman Under the Influence, but some of the most delightful bits between them occur when Lawrence prods him into laughter.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
An experience like this prods a lot of reflection.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
The film takes place over three years in Valbona, a suburban district of Barcelona, as Guerín prods at issues of displacement, identity, urban life, and ecological conflicts in this small neighborhood that serves as a microcosm of the world.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
Kate says when Laurie prods her to speak her mind.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
The two do some earnest bonding over being child actors and their mutual love of John Cassavettes and A Woman Under the Influence, but some of the most delightful bits between them occur when Lawrence prods him into laughter.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
An experience like this prods a lot of reflection.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
The film takes place over three years in Valbona, a suburban district of Barcelona, as Guerín prods at issues of displacement, identity, urban life, and ecological conflicts in this small neighborhood that serves as a microcosm of the world.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prods
Verb
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump wages war for himself; Pope Leo urges us to stand for something other than ourselves.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Deep Charcoals And Muddy Greens Jade Joyner, the founder of Metal + Petal in Athens, Georgia, urges her clients to steer clear of these two aforementioned colors in their small bathrooms.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The clip also pokes fun at Roach's retirement announcement in 2023, only to return to the industry two years later.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Your 6th House of Health takes focus with the nurturing Moon there, though Luna also pokes expensive Jupiter in your 3rd House of Distractions.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To manage that reality, Manning encourages newer teachers to establish boundaries early and stick to them.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Not all that long ago, Fox and Telemundo likely would have blanched at an ad that encourages sports fans to get up from their sofas.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Being in an unfamiliar place, getting poor sleep, and constant stimuli from lights and noise all contribute to delirium.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the role PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 proteins play in sensing mechanical stimuli.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Finally, royal jelly—yet another one of nature’s anti-aging heroes—spurs the production of collagen, thus restoring a youthful bounce to aging skin.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The hormone insulin is a peptide that moves sugar from the bloodstream into cells; GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, spurs the pancreas to release insulin and slows the passage of food through the gut.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Team priorities could collide as the concerned Moon in your 11th House of Aspirations nudges reckless Mars in your 5th House of Risks.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This perspective helps explain why small changes in choice environments – nudges such as placing salad bars directly in cafeteria serving lines or listing vegetarian options first on menus – can significantly shift behavior without forcing anyone to choose differently.—
Alejandro Hortal-Sánchez,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prods. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
