nudged; nudging
1
: to touch or push gently
… nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.—
Paul Theroux
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
J. K. Rowling 2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …—Janet Bamford
Janet Bamford3
: approach
its circulation is nudging the four million mark—Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
: 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
While Google has been gradually nudging employees back to the office, this latest move amounts to a crack down on workers dodging the hybrid-schedule mandates.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 24 Apr. 2025
Even in the immediate build-up to the goal, Salah, inside the six-yard box, nudged Van Dijk’s header onto the post and Diogo Jota hit the crossbar.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
That could nudge the U.S. market to comply indirectly, even under the current administration.
—Antoine Rostand, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Meantime Ramsey’s departure would perhaps nudge cornerback ahead of guard as Miami’s biggest 1R need Thursday night, with Michigan CB Will Johnson a popular mock-draft guess for Dolphins.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
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Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 24 Apr. 2025
Even in the immediate build-up to the goal, Salah, inside the six-yard box, nudged Van Dijk’s header onto the post and Diogo Jota hit the crossbar.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
That could nudge the U.S. market to comply indirectly, even under the current administration.
—Antoine Rostand, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Meantime Ramsey’s departure would perhaps nudge cornerback ahead of guard as Miami’s biggest 1R need Thursday night, with Michigan CB Will Johnson a popular mock-draft guess for Dolphins.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nudge
verb
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially
: to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge
noun
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