as in dug
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurred
Discount retailing was in its infancy, but Price’s success spurred competitors such as Kmart, Target, and Walmart, all of which opened in 1962.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Allen was not the only protester in Sacramento dressed as a hippo, with the Detroit Free-Press describing it as a recent trend spurred by an incident in Portland.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2025
In 1837, the opening of the Long Island Rail Road improved access from New York City and spurred suburban growth.
—JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
Madagascar has seen weeks of protests, initially spurred by shortages of water and power but now encompassing deeper unhappiness over corruption, inflation, and high unemployment.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurred
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Allen was not the only protester in Sacramento dressed as a hippo, with the Detroit Free-Press describing it as a recent trend spurred by an incident in Portland.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2025
In 1837, the opening of the Long Island Rail Road improved access from New York City and spurred suburban growth.
—JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
Madagascar has seen weeks of protests, initially spurred by shortages of water and power but now encompassing deeper unhappiness over corruption, inflation, and high unemployment.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred
Verb
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Hungary is one of Putin’s few allies in the West, and its Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly dug his heels in on Western efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.—
Luke McGee,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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From November 2023 to October 2024, volunteers cleared sagebrush, dug post holes and poured concrete, enduring intense heat, strong winds and relentless dust.—
Susan H. Kamei,
The Conversation,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like the other eight couples who were killed, they were found shot and stabbed in their cars.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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As president of the United States, he was stabbed in the heart with a letter opener by a septuagenarian cuckold.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When prodded about the inevitable backlash to his more expensive proposals, Mamdani shrugged.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
-
After Kempes opened the scoring with a clever sliding finish past the advancing Jan Jongbloed, Argentine goalkeeper Fillol was caught too wide for Dick Nanninga’s headed equaliser, and was similarly too far out when Dutch forward Rob Rensenbrink prodded against the post in stoppage time.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Aeration is the process of creating air spaces in a lawn, usually via 3-inch holes poked into the soil at regular intervals.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
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Several poked fun at the moment through lighthearted comments, while others expressed how their own canines also like to fill their days with an abundance of naps.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The group punched and hit the employee repeatedly, banged on the car and pulled on the doors demanding the vehicle, according to prosecutors.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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But then came the altercation, in which Philadelphia midfielder Jesus Bueno batted Zaha’s hand down in the middle of the pitch and Zaha responded with an open-handed push to Bueno’s face, and Bueno of course went down to the ground as if he had been punched by Mike Tyson.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In one instance, Holmes alleged, Lorch goaded Holmes into a storage room and told him to climb a ladder to a lofted space to retrieve some uniforms.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Instead, he is now being goaded into the impossible retaking of land Ukraine could not get back in the summer of 2023, during a heavily prepped counter-offensive.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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High financing costs, a wobbly economy, flat rents and overbuilding in certain markets nudged many other developers to cancel or delay rental projects.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
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Julian and Penelope nudged me for a response in unison.—
Sofía Pereda,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dončić channeled his competitive rage against the team that knocked him out of the playoffs a season ago.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Allen told the hearing that Sessions knocked glasses off a table and that his friends had asked a waiter not to serve him any more drinks.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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