Thesaurus results for SPURRED

spurred

verb

Definition of spurred

past tense of spur

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

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 spurred Instead, the late-breaking 9th Circuit decisions spurred a flurry of confusion and conjecture just hours before polls were set to open in the country’s most populous state. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026 Since 1970, the ratio of median home prices to median household incomes in places such as Los Angeles County has quadrupled, a direct consequence of the anti-growth policies spurred by the property tax revolt. — M. Nolan Gray, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026 Still, the rise of Reform UK has spurred the mainstream Labour and Conservative parties to toughen their stances on immigration. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026 Parts of the city would flood again weeks later, due to a combination of king tides spurred by the moon's gravitational pull, warm El Niño waters, and an ocean-elevating Kelvin wave. — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026 The Americans With Disabilities Act, signed into law in 1990, has spurred much progress in carving out that space. — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026 The indictment is connected to King’s placement on administrative leave of a top commander who was one of two people whose report of the harassment of an office training coordinator spurred a criminal investigation. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2026 But a rising swath of digital inventory, spurred by the rise of cheap FAST channels and increased inventory on mainstream streamers, has weakened the media companies’ stance. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026 Throughout October thousands joined the cause in Delhi and other Indian cities, their marches spurred by anger directed against an ongoing national exercise to overhaul the country’s electoral register. — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred

Verb

Chaiken chuckled, retelling the story and imagining Kubrick himself groaning at the idea that Criterion had dug it up and restored it.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2026
The Bulls dug too deep of a deficit in the first quarter to overcome, but their insistence on pursuing second-chance opportunities buoyed an outmatched roster to win the second half, accounting for 25 of the team’s point total.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of dug

Verb

Miller had to be prodded Monday morning to catch the bus back to the team hotel.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Even the process by which animals are herded onto the trucks is often highly stressful, with frightened animals pushed, prodded, pulled, and otherwise handled roughly.

— Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of prodded

Verb

Reid returned but kept grabbing at his lower back, White returned after being poked in eye.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026
Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

Prosecutors said Brown punched the firefighter in the chest, and that the firefighter responded by taking a Halligan bar — made of metal and typically used to break down or pry open doors — from the fire truck.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
When a second waiter tried to pull Gonzalez off the victim, Gonzalez punched that worker in the face as well.

— Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of punched

Verb

Garrett, the best defensive player of the post-Aaron Donald era, fittingly goaded the legend out of retirement.

— Jeff Howe, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Or Pablo Picasso, goaded into radicalism by the latest bizarre creations of Matisse, retreating to the Spanish mountain village of Gósol and, mere months later, beginning work on his proto-cubist masterpiece, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of goaded

Verb

Vance has neither criticized his friend nor publicly nudged Carlson to temper what’s been harsh criticism of Israel — and Trump’s cultivation of the Netanyahu government.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Asteroids could also be nudged into more stable orbits, allowing more extensive future missions.

— Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of nudged

Verb

Zaina Alsous, the political lead for Unite Here, said her members knocked on 50,000 doors in support of Rodriguez.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Law enforcement knocked on residents' doors the night before, asking questions about the dumpster, according to people who live on the block.

— Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026