1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of spurs
Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
While many growth factors are human-derived (which, naturally, spurs some ethical concerns), Bioeffect’s come from barley, which Brezavscek says are still effective.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2025
New romantic alignments and realignments are introduced, exhaustingly, by the minute; every action spurs a symmetrical reaction, and every gag in the first half finds an inevitable callback in the second.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Though the active roster is always fluid, especially in late August and early September, the impending deadline spurs plenty of activity leaguewide.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
If our band spurs other people to start a band, then kudos.
—Olivia Petty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
And a woman’s viral saga about falling in love with her psychiatrist spurs an existential question about AI chatbots.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
People move to the region for months at a time to work on these shows, which in turn spurs dollars spent at hotels and restaurants and entertainment areas like the Stockyards.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025
Beneath southeast Iceland, a column of molten rock—known as a hot spot—spurs even more eruptions.
—Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Exercise spurs insulin sensitivity (the opposite of insulin resistance) by assisting insulin signaling in your muscles to take in glucose and use it as fuel.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
While many growth factors are human-derived (which, naturally, spurs some ethical concerns), Bioeffect’s come from barley, which Brezavscek says are still effective.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2025
New romantic alignments and realignments are introduced, exhaustingly, by the minute; every action spurs a symmetrical reaction, and every gag in the first half finds an inevitable callback in the second.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Though the active roster is always fluid, especially in late August and early September, the impending deadline spurs plenty of activity leaguewide.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
If our band spurs other people to start a band, then kudos.
—Olivia Petty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
And a woman’s viral saga about falling in love with her psychiatrist spurs an existential question about AI chatbots.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
People move to the region for months at a time to work on these shows, which in turn spurs dollars spent at hotels and restaurants and entertainment areas like the Stockyards.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025
Beneath southeast Iceland, a column of molten rock—known as a hot spot—spurs even more eruptions.
—Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
The original system, completed in 1992, took 35 years to build but since then more segments and spurs have been added onto the network.
—Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurs
Verb
-
The video shows Zarutska sit in a seat in front of Brown, who fixates on her and after several minutes pulls out a knife and stabs her several times in the neck, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Harrison stabs Prater with the needle and knocks the billionaire out.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The projects received millions in state and local tax incentives after promising to create thousands of new jobs.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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The transparency requirements will improve safety across all frontier models, and without it, companies may face incentives to prioritize growth over safety and transparency, Anthropic added.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These are supports, as Crazy Bull explains, are as vital as what happens in classrooms and labs.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Geriatric care managers are generally people with medical and social services training (usually nurses and social workers) who have particular expertise in creating care plans that cover medical interventions and the creation of everyday life routines and supports for people with particular needs.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The brand’s giant green owl mascot dances badly, makes obscure pop culture references and pokes fun at the company’s push notifications.—
Leeron Walter,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Like his contemporaries, Meyers often pokes fun at the ongoing actions of the president and his administration on Late Night.—
Emlyn Travis Updated,
EW.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ward and Curlee also started the app Counterbalance, which provides daily encouragements, recipes, community and more.—
Emy LaCroix,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Without his braces, Butt-Head sees the world and himself in a whole new light.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Or, Wu suggested, instead of opting for clear plastic aligners, a person could get metal braces or retainers.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
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Daniels was loath to pack the Scranton digs with new characters and drag the show on.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Those not chronically online might instinctively recoil at the term brain rot, with its vaguely gory connotations, especially as concern about the potential harms of social media for adolescents mounts.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
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As pressure mounts, the White House says Trump still has confidence in Kennedy.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurs. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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