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 The portal spurred a massive development effort inside the Postal Service while some states criticized it as federal overreach. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 The signing spurred a surge in interest in the club for ticketing and sponsorships. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026 During his appearance at the All-In Summit last week, Musk said this massive undertaking was spurred by geopolitical concerns. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 As polling has spurred worry from Republicans, the party has begun raising significant funds to boost Paxton’s chances. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2026 Nonprofit leaders are reporting alarming burnout rates and more and more organizations are facing financial challenges that have spurred layoffs and, in some cases, closures. — Phil Buchanan, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 The effort is part of a growing pro-play movement emerging as the next phase of the ed-tech backlash that gripped classrooms across the country, and spurred cellphone bans and screen time limits. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026 Jenkins Reid’s novels have sold more than 24 million copies worldwide and spurred myriad film and television adaptations. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 The secrecy surrounding Google’s work piqued the interest of experts and spurred them to openly reproduce the result. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred

Verb

Hundreds of British troops crisscrossed fields with thousands of metres of razor wire and dug a long ditch that was later partially filled with water to act as a moat to keep the Protestant marchers away from the Catholic enclave.

— Amanda Ferguson Reuters, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
But the Rebels dug deep again, and came away with the emotional victory.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of dug

Verb

Builders, prodded to work beyond city limits, adopted Olmsted’s vision for what those suburbs should look like.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Trump publicly prodded the Health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month.

— Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of prodded

Verb

The fight was so violent that each one of them punched, scratched, bit and slapped the other, Linhardt said.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Fields came up behind Ezukanma, who was sitting on bench in the locker room looking at his phone, punched him in the head, and kicked him.

— Mac Engel September 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 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

Gio Giovanni Gerosa While knitwear and colorful silk dresses remain at the center of Giovanni Gerosa’s universe, his brand’s latest collection nudged the designer’s penchant for craftsmanship into new territories.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
So there’s not that much to happen in the last two-thirds of the drama than for your ribs to be constantly nudged with the idea of how easily the most respectable citizens among us will give in to modest proposals and, indeed, murder.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of nudged

Verb

Pike attacked her, knocked her to the ground and hit her in the face with her knee and foot, according to court documents.

— Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
The crash scattered pieces of the vehicle around the property and damaged a railing, melted plastic and knocked a section of brick from the building's exterior.

— Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of knocked

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“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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verb

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