as in stabbing
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object
gently spurred the horse with his heels
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Recent Examples of spurring
Particularly impressionable to her at the time were Dirty Dancing (spurring her to take ballroom dancing lessons) and Prince’s Purple Rain — both projected on a simple white sheet in a makeshift viewing room.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
Both parties have passed bills year after year aimed at spurring development, yet Colorado's housing market continues to be one of the most expensive in the country.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Zak Podmore is a contributor to Writers on the Range, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about the West.
—Zak Podmore, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Mayor Barbara Lee announced at a news briefing Wednesday that PG&E and Kaiser Permanente were paying to revive the city’s police cadet program in the hope of spurring recruiting.
—Harry Harris, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Trump has also intensified his rhetoric about taking control of Greenland, spurring additional concern among some Democrats.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2026
Producers invited one of the host’s early inspirations, Kassandra Fleming, spurring much surprise and a few tears.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
ProPublica’s reporting typically focuses on exposing wrongdoing in the hopes of spurring change.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 16 Jan. 2026
Late last year, the leader of Tesla and the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, secured a $1 trillion pay package at his EV company, spurring criticism of the growing wealth divide between the world’s wealthiest and poorest workers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
Both parties have passed bills year after year aimed at spurring development, yet Colorado's housing market continues to be one of the most expensive in the country.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Zak Podmore is a contributor to Writers on the Range, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about the West.
—Zak Podmore, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Mayor Barbara Lee announced at a news briefing Wednesday that PG&E and Kaiser Permanente were paying to revive the city’s police cadet program in the hope of spurring recruiting.
—Harry Harris, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Trump has also intensified his rhetoric about taking control of Greenland, spurring additional concern among some Democrats.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2026
Producers invited one of the host’s early inspirations, Kassandra Fleming, spurring much surprise and a few tears.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
ProPublica’s reporting typically focuses on exposing wrongdoing in the hopes of spurring change.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 16 Jan. 2026
Late last year, the leader of Tesla and the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, secured a $1 trillion pay package at his EV company, spurring criticism of the growing wealth divide between the world’s wealthiest and poorest workers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurring
Verb
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These findings could be consistent with testimony from Peres Magalhães that Banfield manipulated the crime scene after stabbing his wife.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
-
After stabbing her, Redd is accused of taking her car and driving off.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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The show could still include a government subplot, maybe some shadowy investigators poking their noses around, but as it was written, the military was just unforgivably lame.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Agents made several arrests in supermarket parking lots and at tamale stands while goading angry residents who confronted them and threatening to unleash tear gas.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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The mind thrills to imagine a genderless prophet among the brocades and buckskin breeches of Revolutionary America, weirding out the normies, sticking a flower in the barrel of a musket, and goading the new nation to let its hair down—literally.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Jordan, at times, could be abrasive and biting while relentlessly prodding his teammates to push themselves to excellence.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Trump believes exacting tariffs can be a useful tool in prodding friends and foes on the global stage to bend to his will.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After eruptions in the 18th century buried farmland under ash, growers adapted by digging large pits called hoyos.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Early Tuesday evening, members of two local Native American tribes were digging three deep holes for the horses that the Forest Service had euthanized.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In September 2014, TMZ published a grainy elevator security video that showed Ray Rice, the star running back for the Baltimore Ravens, punching his girlfriend in the face so hard that she was knocked unconscious.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
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Aerating your lawn can improve this by punching holes into the soil or removing small plugs of soil to help water, air, and nutrients penetrate deeper into the ground.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The morning favors slow starts, nudging us to notice needs early and respond without wasting time.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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The speedy little Mercedes slipped beneath the truck, nudging it lightly in the belly, and contracted, crushing within itself two male bodies slack with drink and sleep.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Guido followed him around like a puppy, from the very first day, always knocking on his door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Video footage from the protest showed officers swinging batons and knocking demonstrators to the ground.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurring. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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