spur 1 of 2

as in to stab
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object gently spurred the horse with his heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spur

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun spur contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of spur are goad, impulse, incentive, inducement, and motive. While all these words mean "a stimulus to action," spur applies to a motive that stimulates the faculties or increases energy or ardor.

fear was a spur to action

In what contexts can goad take the place of spur?

While the synonyms goad and spur are close in meaning, goad suggests a motive that keeps one going against one's will or desire.

thought insecurity a goad to worker efficiency

When might impulse be a better fit than spur?

The meanings of impulse and spur largely overlap; however, impulse suggests a driving power arising from personal temperament or constitution.

buying on impulse

When could incentive be used to replace spur?

Although the words incentive and spur have much in common, incentive applies to an external influence (such as an expected reward) inciting to action.

a bonus was offered as an incentive

When can inducement be used instead of spur?

While in some cases nearly identical to spur, inducement suggests a motive prompted by the deliberate enticements or allurements of another.

offered a watch as an inducement to subscribe

Where would motive be a reasonable alternative to spur?

The words motive and spur can be used in similar contexts, but motive implies an emotion or desire operating on the will and causing it to act.

a motive for the crime

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 spur
Verb
Widely regarded as one of the most influential horror films of all time, Halloween went on to spur a franchise that includes over 10 films and is heavily referenced in the first Scream film. Yasmeen Hamadeh, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025 Trump’s encouragement of Walker was enough to spur him into the race, though Republicans as a whole were hesitant, given Walker’s lack of experience and standing as an unknown quantity among GOP voters. Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
But would better price transparency spur competition or lower prices? Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025 The original system, completed in 1992, took 35 years to build but since then more segments and spurs have been added onto the network. Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spur
Verb
  • Late last month, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a train in North Carolina.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Instead, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train home from work.
    Peter D'Abrosca , Stepheny Price , Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The special teams element is a benefit of the move more than the impetus.
    Zach Berman, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • That’s really what was the first impetus for getting this to be a continuing project.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That means no more security updates, patches, or tech support, so now’s the time to upgrade.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
  • At the same time, maintaining emotional support while encouraging autonomy strikes a healthier balance than enabling avoidance.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The Jamaican’s better start again forced Lyles to dig deep to stay in the race.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • President Joe Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act—passed solely with Democratic votes in Congress—provided historic incentives for clean energy manufacturers and EV and battery makers.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • If a ball is kicked into the landing zone and then bounces into the endzone while staying inbounds, it must be returned or downed; however, there is an incentive for attempting a return in that instance, as a touchback would only spot the receiving team at their 20.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Keep communication open by avoiding poking fun at these practices.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Gibson proceeded to the Children’s Chorus room, where two staffers welcomed her to poke through the costume racks.
    Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While the movement has yet to gain traction on this side of the pond, Americans have needed little outside encouragement to get in on the secondhand shopping trend, both online, led by marketplaces like ThredUp and The Real Real, and in thrift stores.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Pym was in need of encouragement.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Armed with those reinforcements, the Phillies have operated with a certain confidence.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
  • By combining hierarchical planning, reinforcement learning, and motion data drawn from human players, the project provides a blueprint for building robots that are efficient and intuitive in their movements.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spur. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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