as in stabbing
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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Recent Examples of spurring
At his confirmation hearing, Kennedy refused to disavow links between vaccines and autism, a favorite theory of outfits spurring vaccine hesitancy among parents, though numerous studies have found no connection.
—
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, the president touted the strong January jobs gain and insisted the Fed should cut interest rates to keep spurring growth.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
He’s best known for breaking up that colossus, which is spurring speculation that PayPal’s board intends to sell off segments of the firm’s business.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
In at least five instances, people have survived the operations, spurring efforts to find and rescue them in most cases.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
What’s spurring the slide now isn’t a dearth of information or cutting-edge medicine.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The far higher leverage, action-spurring pressure point on March 6, however, is still the main event.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Springsteen was eventually cleared of the charges, spurring thoughts the automaker might have moved too quickly.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
An autopsy showed that the 51-year-old man allegedly kicked and beaten by 11- and 12-year-old youths in Providence died of blunt force trauma, spurring the police to upgrade the charges some of the juveniles are facing to murder, according to a spokeswoman for the Providence Police Department.
—Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, the president touted the strong January jobs gain and insisted the Fed should cut interest rates to keep spurring growth.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
He’s best known for breaking up that colossus, which is spurring speculation that PayPal’s board intends to sell off segments of the firm’s business.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
In at least five instances, people have survived the operations, spurring efforts to find and rescue them in most cases.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
What’s spurring the slide now isn’t a dearth of information or cutting-edge medicine.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The far higher leverage, action-spurring pressure point on March 6, however, is still the main event.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Springsteen was eventually cleared of the charges, spurring thoughts the automaker might have moved too quickly.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
An autopsy showed that the 51-year-old man allegedly kicked and beaten by 11- and 12-year-old youths in Providence died of blunt force trauma, spurring the police to upgrade the charges some of the juveniles are facing to murder, according to a spokeswoman for the Providence Police Department.
—Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurring
Verb
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Mohammed Ahmad Hussein al-Halsi was sentenced in 2016 to 18 years behind bars for stabbing elderly women.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Another Jefferson County circuit judge, Jessica Green, last year drew local and national criticism after granting shock probation to a 32-year-old man accused of abducting a mother and two children and stabbing the mother during a bank robbery.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Reporters looking to stir up trouble in the press room were goading American players, particularly those with foreign-sounding last names.—
Beth Herman,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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Julian and Neil take to goading and championing the understandably hangdog Matt.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are close-ups of hands kneading dough, a snail sliming its way up a window and Cathy prodding a jellied fish with her finger.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Elliott, which took a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo in September, has been prodding the company’s board to make changes, saying PepsiCo was being hurt by slowing growth and lower profits in its North American food and beverage business.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Directed by Don Prod, the clip tracks the British rapper driving an old Aston Martin, drinking whiskey, and literally digging his own grave.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
12 Feb. 2026
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And honestly, who enjoys digging through mostly empty bottles just to find one tiny pill?—
Carin Ryan,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The former Ohio State linebacker is reportedly still on probation stemming from a 2023 arrest for allegedly punching a female relative in the head multiple times.—
Jami Ganz,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The former Ohio State linebacker is reportedly still on probation stemming from a 2023 arrest for allegedly punching a female relative in the head multiple times.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The former is a ring on the bottom of the rock that skids across the ice, and the latter is a band around the sides of the rock that collides with other rocks (ideally knocking an opponent’s rock off the bull’s-eye or nudging your team’s closer to it).—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
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Shared decision-making tools that present options in balanced, comprehensible formats can support informed choice without nudging patients toward any particular decision.—
Jared Rhoads,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Buzelis was still suspended midair when Collin Sexton backpedaled underneath the forward, knocking his legs backward to send the younger player crashing to the floor, stomach-first.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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That's when Palmer punched Simpson in the mouth, knocking him to the floor, court records say.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurring. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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