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
Then later in the period, his save on a partial breakaway by Alexis Gendron spurred a B’s counterattack and a 2-on-1.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
As Chapman’s dominance grew, a natural curiosity about his turnaround spurred questions.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The drones that landed in Poland were not believed to be armed, but nonetheless, spurred Warsaw to trigger Article 4 emergency consultations with NATO members.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
If this action was spurred by the 232 investigation, then the tariffs may be stronger as a result.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurred
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
As Chapman’s dominance grew, a natural curiosity about his turnaround spurred questions.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The drones that landed in Poland were not believed to be armed, but nonetheless, spurred Warsaw to trigger Article 4 emergency consultations with NATO members.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
If this action was spurred by the 232 investigation, then the tariffs may be stronger as a result.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred
Verb
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Caught in a toughness-testing Sunday afternoon brawl with the Raiders, the Bears dug deep and showed the resilience and survival instincts to claw out a win.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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When social media users called the wig unflattering, the insults dug deep.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Mark Sanchez was stabbed in an incident in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday morning, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and he was later arrested on Saturday evening for his role in the incident.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Oct. 2025
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Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez has been hospitalized after he was reportedly stabbed on Friday night in Indianapolis.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That meant Hufanga spent a good chunk of the offseason not just learning a new system, but getting poked and prodded by his new coaches and running mate Jones.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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Other decisions can be similarly poked and prodded.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Because tiny holes are poked into the soil surface, more nutrients can reach greater soil depths.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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In a 2019 post celebrating his third wedding anniversary with Miles, Minoso poked fun at his character’s romantic shortcomings.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Howell punched and raped her before making off with her necklace, cellphone and purse, police said.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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In the clip, the employee, 66-year-old Thomas Schlage, is pushed to the ground and repeatedly punched.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead, he is now being goaded into the impossible retaking of land Ukraine could not get back in the summer of 2023, during a heavily prepped counter-offensive.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
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His facial expressions and reactions to Lynch’s promos and her being goaded into this WrestlePalooza mixed tag team match suggest that there are more problems to come for the powerful heel duo.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To manage the thousands of people who descend daily, operators have studied visitors’ behavior and engineered their parks to move people around without anyone realizing they’re being nudged.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
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Student tickets nudged down, too, from 8,013 to 7,823.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While half-heartedly watching Napier against Miami, Stricklin accidentally knocked one of Marino’s letters out of place.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
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Guido has been a magnet for controversy; a decade earlier he had been knocked to the ground when the Pirates’ first baseman Randall Simon took a swing at him with his bat from the visitor’s dugout, causing both the Italian sausage and hot dog to fall.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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