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
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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
-
Bautista stabs and shoots his assailants in an operatic eruption of violence that is done in a single, extended shot.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Milo tries to be a hero, trying to use pepper spray on Morgan, but Morgan stabs and kills him.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The letter, first reported by Aviation Week, urges Musk to consider more affordable pricing.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the Arctic becomes a top trending travel destination, Lambe urges travelers to see this special place—like Iqaluit’s vast open tundra dotted by mountains, rivers, and rocky outcrops—through an Indigenous point of view, in which humans are inextricably intertwined with the natural world.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Mar. 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
-
Williams pokes a single into the right field gap for an RBI.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
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One TikTok video with over 949,000 likes pokes fun at Kempczinski's review by using similar wording to judge other McDonald's items.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Launched in 2020 after the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves arriving in Jamestown, Virginia, the decade-long initiative encourages people of African descent to visit or repatriate and reconnect with their heritage and culture.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
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But a general election that includes voices from across the spectrum and encourages candidates to build coalitions and draw support from everyone?—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Having relied only on non-visual stimuli, their mental models of the world are likely to be considerably different from those of sighted people.—
Sachin Rawat,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Similar to the ornate bank hall, the smaller side room influenced the work, with its curved white walls and absence of visual design stimuli.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Stella’s restless energy in wanting to fix things spurs her to arrange an impromptu trip for them to Amsterdam.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That differential, while still high, at least nudges the concept out of the instantly dismissible category.—
Glenn Zorpette,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Any tariff shift moves shipping volumes, squeezes supply chains, and eventually nudges consumer prices — but those ripples take time to reach shelves and paychecks.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prods. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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