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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of spurs
Austin Horn,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
But the immune system has sensed that something is wrong, and spurs a more brute force reaction.
—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Then Charlotte’s decision to sell their late father’s robotics company—and with it, beings like Cy—spurs Grayson into action, stealing the flash drive with all the company secrets and towing Cy along on his attempt at a corporate takeover.
—
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
The per-unit tax abatement program spurs the production of affordable housing without direct public subsidy.
—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
His incarceration doesn't last long, though, because a taunting serial killer spurs a prison break.
—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Weather impacts of super El Niños El Niño spurs a broad range of weather impacts across the globe, including in parts of the United States.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
What few efforts do exist to address alcohol’s harms have been overshadowed by the opioid crisis, a parallel drug epidemic that attracts more funding, spurs more policy change, and garners more media attention despite being vastly less deadly.
—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
The Handling Speciale, at least on paper, only spurs that sentiment on.
—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
29 Apr. 2026
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
Columbine — An early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, perfect for getting hummingbird activity started in spring.
—
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
The veterinarian said there is no medical reason for the birds to have been live plucked or to have their spurs cut so short.
—
S.e. Jenkins,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
Supporters say the law expands options for families and spurs school improvement all around — especially in districts with subpar schools.
—
Austin Horn,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
But the immune system has sensed that something is wrong, and spurs a more brute force reaction.
—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Then Charlotte’s decision to sell their late father’s robotics company—and with it, beings like Cy—spurs Grayson into action, stealing the flash drive with all the company secrets and towing Cy along on his attempt at a corporate takeover.
—
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
The per-unit tax abatement program spurs the production of affordable housing without direct public subsidy.
—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
His incarceration doesn't last long, though, because a taunting serial killer spurs a prison break.
—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Weather impacts of super El Niños El Niño spurs a broad range of weather impacts across the globe, including in parts of the United States.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
What few efforts do exist to address alcohol’s harms have been overshadowed by the opioid crisis, a parallel drug epidemic that attracts more funding, spurs more policy change, and garners more media attention despite being vastly less deadly.
—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
The Handling Speciale, at least on paper, only spurs that sentiment on.
—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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
Columbine — An early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, perfect for getting hummingbird activity started in spring.
—
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
The veterinarian said there is no medical reason for the birds to have been live plucked or to have their spurs cut so short.
—
S.e. Jenkins,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurs
Verb
-
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.
Noun
-
And given that such systems are physically possible, powerful economic and strategic incentives exist for technologists and entrepreneurs to build them.
-
The restrictions apply to existing single-family homes, not new construction, a carveout that preserves incentives for financial firms to invest in new housing construction, the staffer noted.
Noun
-
On the other were calls to shift resources away from policing and toward social supports and services.
-
Build office- and home-based supports that make systems flexible enough to let their strengths show.
Verb
-
Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.
-
In it, Grace can be seen playing a racing game while the Mallrats creator pokes fun at her driving skills.
Noun
-
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.
-
In October 2024 ahead of her own stay at MSG, Billie Eilish recorded encouragements to take the subways for environmental benefits.
Noun
-
The soldiers, according to witnesses, instead triaged themselves with makeshift bandages, braces and tourniquets.
-
The new ones appear reassuringly sturdy, even without the thicket of cross-braces that typically fence off the sidewalk from the street.
Verb
-
In his review, our expert Andrew Gebhart said the Dyson Vis Nav’s stiff nylon bristles digs deep into carpets or hard surfaces alike, sucking up any mess.
-
Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.
Noun
-
One of the main impetuses for this is that newer planes are flying further, which means airline routes are getting longer.
Cite this Entry
“Spurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurs. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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