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 That was until a surge in oil prices and bond yields in recent months spurred investors to run back to their old favorites. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 But Ellison eventually made a superior offer, spurred at least in part by Paramount’s need to gain scale in the streaming wars. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 This may be in part because the pandemic has spurred people on to find ways to strengthen their immune systems and improve their gut health. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026 The tech worker whose public resignation last month spurred widespread concern about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence told a New York City Council hearing that the AI industry was moving too fast. — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Martinez appeared with her attorneys at a news conference Monday, saying the various shootings spurred her to file suit. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 Swirling pools of moshers developed during every song, spurred on by Wells. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The investigation was spurred by the missing persons reports, authorities said. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The signing spurred a surge in interest in the club for ticketing and sponsorships. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 28 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

After an Omani national copilot — who has since been identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami — allegedly stabbed FlyDubai flight 1073’s pilot Capt.

— Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
The copilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit before passengers intervened aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 after taking off from Dubai, UAE, with 182 people including eight crew members flying to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.

— Sam Metz, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of stabbed

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

His pass set and movements looked more like an art than someone who punched people for a living.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
The suspect allegedly punched the woman with a closed fist before taking her phone and driver's license, then fleeing the scene, according to police.

— Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 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

The same analysts at Wells nudged up their Alphabet price target to $417 from $411, implying 20% upside.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
The blind man nudged the ferrule of his cane into the bulk of the sleeping figure, sidestepped him deftly, and moved on to the end of the block, a stoplight, heavy traffic, cyclists, big scary trucks.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of nudged

Verb

In a press conference on Wednesday, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry said the police investigation began on the night of Oct 8, 2011, when a 17-year-old girl ran to apartment complex on Lumbee Drive, knocked on a door, and asked for help.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
The Maine, North Carolina, and Texas AFL-CIOs and their affiliates have knocked hundreds of thousands of doors already this cycle, presenting voters with the contract and where the candidates stand.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocked

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“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of spurred

verb

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