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 Dressed in baby blue matching shirts, the Milwaukee Beach Ambassadors have been working to educate Lake Michigan beachgoers on current and water conditions since 2021, an effort spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic. Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The Brown-Salsmans, however, did obtain permission to place Pride flags in the city's flower pots, which lasted less than two weeks before community outrage spurred leaders to remove them. Cate Charron, IndyStar, 2 Sep. 2025 Questions about the president's health were also spurred by new photos showing bruising on his hand. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025 And that kind of spurred on the orange juice video. Tabitha Parent, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spurred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred
Verb
  • Digital forensics experts dug through it, looking for his search activity, contacts and other data to help police build their case against him.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Yet, for a team whose defense hardly made any plays for months at a time last season and dug an insurmountable hole by never getting the lucky bounce or break in a zillion one-score losses, there were no apologies.
    Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Just after noon, officers from BPD and the School Police Unit responded to a report of a teen stabbed in the Roxbury high school building, spokesperson Sgt.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Frank was also found bound in the basement, stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As much as analyst Jessica Reif Erlich prodded, Woodbury declined to give numbers of any sort for Epic post-launch.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
  • But Voccola said he was prodded into action after the City Commission voted 3-2 in June to postpone the November 2025 election to 2026 without voter approval.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • No movie poked holes in the stereotypical puffy rock-star ego more effectively than Spinal Tap did, and there are legions of fans who have the film almost completely memorized.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
  • After the cyberstalking ordeal came to an end and started making national news, the Wilsons poked fun at Kendra's fate by dressing up a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit with a mask of her mugshot over its face, per The Cut.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After McNeil refused to get out of his car, Bowers smashed the driver’s side window, punched McNeil in the head and pulled him out of the SUV.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The man, later identified as 39-year-old Ismael Hernandez-Padilla, pulled the woman into an empty lot, thenstrangled and punched her, police said.
    Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • During her trial, prosecutors said Rodriguez had goaded the officers for video views.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Creating rentals aided lower-income families and nudged rents down.
    Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
  • June was restated to show a net job loss of 13,000—the first decline since 2020—while July’s gain was nudged higher, leaving overall employment 21,000 lower than previously reported.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Grant Delpit turned heads during the 2024 NFL season when his strong tackle knocked 252-pound running back Derrick Henry to the turf.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Progressives fumbled their 2022 campaigns for the seat, when multiple candidates with left-wing credentials knocked each other out, letting Goldman prevail with just 26% of the vote.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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