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
Obesity rates skyrocketed in the United States over the next few decades, spurring a 2016 change to the rule to list calorie counts on nutrition labels in a large, bold font.
—
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026
An overhaul of public higher education is spurring concerns about an exodus of the best and brightest faculty in Texas.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Their work would help launch the booming field of quantum information science, spurring the development of new technology and the discovery of fundamental connections between physics and information.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
The demands are so big that in many cases, the industry’s giants are in some cases shutting the gates, further raising worries and spurring the hunger to flee.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Tax relief and deregulation were spurring the economy.
—Jay Caruso, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Pritzker unveiled his proposal to create statewide zoning laws as a means of spurring homebuilding and encouraging the development of more affordable housing during his State of the State speech last month.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
His experiences here helped forge his passion for the outdoors and conservation, spurring him to use his presidential influence to establish the United States Forest Service, 150 national forests, and five national parks.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
Health officials endorsed leucovorin last fall — and word spread quickly, spurring interest in the drug.
—Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026
An overhaul of public higher education is spurring concerns about an exodus of the best and brightest faculty in Texas.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Their work would help launch the booming field of quantum information science, spurring the development of new technology and the discovery of fundamental connections between physics and information.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
The demands are so big that in many cases, the industry’s giants are in some cases shutting the gates, further raising worries and spurring the hunger to flee.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Tax relief and deregulation were spurring the economy.
—Jay Caruso, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Pritzker unveiled his proposal to create statewide zoning laws as a means of spurring homebuilding and encouraging the development of more affordable housing during his State of the State speech last month.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
His experiences here helped forge his passion for the outdoors and conservation, spurring him to use his presidential influence to establish the United States Forest Service, 150 national forests, and five national parks.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
Health officials endorsed leucovorin last fall — and word spread quickly, spurring interest in the drug.
—Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurring
Verb
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Two teenagers are facing charges in connection to a Hackensack, New Jersey, stabbing that sent one of them to the hospital.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
According to Prescott, Walker appeared intent on stabbing the policeman before he was shot.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
-
His father came around the corner in time to see his arms poking up above the rim, a cartoon character in need of rescue.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His Dahl is constantly goading people, driving them right up to the edge of their tolerance.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
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So, does Roan deserve all the credit for softening the nature of these carpets, where dozens of photographers gather to scream goading or even offensive remarks at talent just to get their attention?—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And six years later, Donovan is still prodding and cajoling the forward to crash the boards and control his dribble and contribute physically to the game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Some say his solo effort against Manchester City in 2021 was the pinnacle, when the winger waltzed past one of the best defenses in the world before prodding his shot into the side-netting.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An excavator spent Thursday digging an escape channel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Why is Elon Musk digging tunnels?—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that while LaBeouf’s attorneys were still aggressively pursuing their position and seeking monetary compensation from Barnett, a partying LaBeouf was arrested in New Orleans on assault charges for allegedly punching two bar patrons.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
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Everyone should be protecting their skulls 200 percent more in this situation and ideally also not punching each other.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Your 9th House of Expansion is energized by Venus and Chiron aligning, nudging you to choose growth over perfection in an expanding field.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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But that respite was short-lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, nudging back over $100 a barrel Tuesday, up nearly 40% since the war started.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Things got worse for the Wild a few shifts later when Spurgeon foiled a Florida rush to the Minnesota net, but went down at full speed and slid hard into the goalpost, knocking the net off the moorings.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
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The level 3 out of 5, or the area with numerous severe thunderstorms, is literally knocking on the door.—
Ray Petelin,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurring. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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