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
The sector has spurred the development of supplier parks, technical training programs and research institutions, further strengthening the region’s industrial ecosystem.
—
Brian Moody, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Soon after, in Frisco, a booming D-FW city with a large South Asian population, the unfolding H-1B changes also spurred a broader, contentious debate about diversity, population growth and patriotism, The News reported.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Mondragón says assets management across these projects spurred the joint venture with Framestore.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Some state legislators likened the current moment to the weeks after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, which helped unify Democratic lawmakers and spurred the passage of a marquee police oversight bill in Colorado.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurred
Brian Moody, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Soon after, in Frisco, a booming D-FW city with a large South Asian population, the unfolding H-1B changes also spurred a broader, contentious debate about diversity, population growth and patriotism, The News reported.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Mondragón says assets management across these projects spurred the joint venture with Framestore.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Some state legislators likened the current moment to the weeks after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, which helped unify Democratic lawmakers and spurred the passage of a marquee police oversight bill in Colorado.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred
Verb
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All testers dug the cavernous main compartment, which features stretchy crisscrossing straps that helped lash clothes down, keeping contents organized on the road.—
Drew Zieff,
Outside,
17 Feb. 2026
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Chicago residents dug a little deeper into their wallets to pay for city parking, as rates increased due to the city’s lopsided parking meter deal.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Brockton Police arrested a man who allegedly stabbed a co-worker at Wollaston Alloys Monday night.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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A student was even stabbed at a school after the system didn't detect a 7-inch knife.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thankfully, city officials—prodded by tenants and small-business owners, clergy and homeowners, and, yes, some landlords—rejected advice to consign neighborhoods such as East Flatbush to history’s dustbin.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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Other officials, too, prodded the IDNR after they were caught unaware about the possibility that the marina would not open for the 2026 season.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Loamy soil keeps its shape but crumbles easily when poked.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
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The sheet cake is poked with the handle end of a wooden spoon, creating big holes into which the lemon Jell-o (the glaze) was poured.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Witnesses said LaBeouf was thrown out of the bar for being aggressive, then punched someone several times outside.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
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When police intervened, multiple arrests were made, including a student who allegedly punched an officer, which required staples in the officer’s head to treat, according to police.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump, though never restrained, is now pure id, acting on impulse and goaded on by advisers who see an opportunity to further expand executive power.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
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Her ups and downs were a regular punch line on late-night talk shows, starting with her first appearance on The Tonight Show in 1985, when she was goaded into agreeing to lose 15 lbs.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But after her parents had a chance viewing of bobsledding on TV and nudged her to try a new sport, Taylor pivoted from the infield to ice, to her surprise, rather seamlessly.—
Marquise Francis,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
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Our divisions are constantly nudged, magnified, monetized, and weaponized by systems that profit from keeping us emotionally engaged and perpetually agitated.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cooper went up for a fast-break dunk and Jamerson knocked him to the floor.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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In his complaint, Rodriguez alleges the punch from Garcia knocked him unconscious.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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