SPURS Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

spurs 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spur

as in stabs

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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spurs

2 of 2

noun

plural of spur

as in incentives

something that arouses action or activity the threat of losing its only sports franchise was the spur the city council needed to finally do something about the rising crime rate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in supports

a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else a weak wall that might need a spur

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of spurs

Verb

This tender novel of intimacy and its risks begins in Boston in 1969, as Eve, a dancer, commences an affair with a colleague—an indiscretion that spurs her husband, a journalist named Gabe, to cheat, too. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Correlation, after all, tends to be strongest when a sudden shock spurs investors to take risk off in tandem. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Whatever the culture, there’s a term for witnessing the changing colors of leaves, a universal act that spurs awe and wonder and makes one reflect on the passage of time. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026 Her biggest hope for Matthew’s next four years is that his presence at school spurs a greater understanding and compassion for folks with special needs among the general student population. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 An alarming downside is that this openly spurs an AI to potentially wreak havoc and commit cyberattacks throughout the Internet, even though it is seemingly only being tested. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Hunger, in turn, fights against weight loss and possibly even spurs more weight gain. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 Don’t Fertilize Fertilizer spurs grass to grow quickly and growth demands carbohydrates which are in short supply during a heat wave. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026 This combination captures people’s moral attention and spurs them to action. — Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026

Noun

The researchers observed bends, wiggles, kinks, gaps, branches, spurs and clumps. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 One exhibit brings together the then-future president’s buckskin jacket and pants, his rifle, Tiffany knife, his spurs, and his branding irons. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026 But aside from gifting Zane with spurs, Beth’s more or less a spectator through all of the Jackson family drama. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 19 June 2026 Yeezy works into the evening, hacking at jagged spurs of plastic and tapping away with a special brass gunsmith’s hammer. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026 Gold and silver metallic tones can also be used to evoke the look of belt buckles, spurs, and other metallic accessories. — Elle Turner, Glamour, 31 May 2026 Spain’s Rif War, where future Spanish dictator Francisco Franco won his spurs, served as a crucible for the values and military tactics of the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War where Franco treated his Republican enemy with the same humanity dealt out to Rif inhabitants. — John Hopewell, Variety, 12 May 2026 Columbine is an early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, giving your garden a head start in spring. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026 Pairing it with columbine, an early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, ensures your garden has food available from the start. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurs

Verb

But before Bane can finish him off, Batman stabs a Batarang into a little knob on Bane’s wrist gauntlet, the one that controls his intake of Venom.

— Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
When Little Death stabs into their victim, there’s a geyser of blood, way more than could fit inside a human body.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of stabs

Noun

Any federal tax credit worth passing should stack automatically on top of state incentives and apply the same regardless of whether a production files from Atlanta, Shreveport, or Burbank.

— Sam Roseme, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
In July, California’s Public Utilities Commission approved new incentives of up to $20,300 for ride-hailing app drivers to buy or lease new zero-emission vehicles, and often now, ride hailers can choose to be picked up by an EV on the apps.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of incentives

Noun

The trunk lid was reinforced and features a huge, adjustable carbon fiber wing mounted on trapezoidal supports.

— Joel Feder, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026
Millions of children live in families losing access to medical care, food, tax credits, and other supports as federal and state governments roll back eligibility for immigrants with and without legal status.

— Claudia Boyd-Barrett, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of supports

Verb

Natural light pokes through the windows, adding a trademark freshness to an indoor coliseum.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of pokes

Noun

Many folks send encouragements toward OP mom and her son, while others put heat on the other parents for sexualizing their kids’ friendship.

— DeVonne Goode, Parents, 26 July 2026
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.

— Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026

Definition of encouragements

Noun

Lumbar support braces designed to provide relief from chronic low back pain may not be as effective as people have been led to believe, with scientists finding that recommendations are based on low-quality evidence.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026
Two South Florida men were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a nearly $35 million health care scam after billing Medicare for thousands of orthotic braces sent to beneficiaries who did not need them.

— Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of braces

Verb

With shovel in hand, this deep thinker digs down on players largely riding the pine in 12-team leagues who, if employed, could vault willing backers to a fast start.

— Brad Evans, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Gibney, who has applied investigative rigor to Enron, Scientology, Casino Jack Abramoff and other targets in previous films, digs particularly deep into Tesla and its safety claims associated with self-driving technology.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of digs

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spurring

spurs

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“Spurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurs. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spurs

verb

noun

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