nudge

verb

nudged; nudging

transitive verb

1
: to touch or push gently
nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.Paul Theroux
especially : to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy … J. K. Rowling
2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …Janet Bamford
3
: approach
its circulation is nudging the four million markBennett Cerf

intransitive verb

: to give a nudge
She nudged and jostled through the crowd.
nudge noun
nudger noun

Examples of nudge in a Sentence

I nudged the plate closer to him. The guard nudged the prisoner forward. The dog nudged the ball with his nose. He nudged me and pointed to the deer. The salesman nudged her into testing out the car. Album sales are nudging the one million mark. The price of gold has nudged a little higher.
Recent Examples on the Web Yet powerful internal and external forces nudge us to check one more email, attend one more meeting, or make one more phone call. Harvard Business Review, 17 Oct. 2024 Wander too far off of the playable path and a gentle breeze will nudge you backwards. Kris Holt, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 The punching bag is also equipped with a set of light rings that nudges gym-goers into different workout rhythms. João Medeiros, WIRED, 14 Oct. 2024 Though mainstream parties often revile these policies and rhetoric, they have been nudged toward them by the electoral threat looming on their rightward flank. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nudge 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nudge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nudge was in 1675

Dictionary Entries Near nudge

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

nudge

verb
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially : to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nudge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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