1
as in urged
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
tried to goad me into auditioning for the play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 goaded
Anthony provoked and goaded Metcalf, Wirskye said.
—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
In the ensuing chaos, one of those two young men takes the stage, goaded on by his friend, and soon has the audience dancing to his melodies and words.
—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
22 May 2026
He was mocked and goaded by Callum Newman into attacking Shingo Takagi after Newman retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
The czar, goaded by his military advisors, mobilized the Russian army knowing that meant war.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Trump, though never restrained, is now pure id, acting on impulse and goaded on by advisers who see an opportunity to further expand executive power.
—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Her ups and downs were a regular punch line on late-night talk shows, starting with her first appearance on The Tonight Show in 1985, when she was goaded into agreeing to lose 15 lbs.
—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
Democrats saw him as a master of dark arts, beholden to his former pals in the oil industry and a warmonger who goaded the nation to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to help his benefactors.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
20 Nov. 2025
In one instance, Holmes alleged, Lorch goaded Holmes into a storage room and told him to climb a ladder to a lofted space to retrieve some uniforms.
—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
In the ensuing chaos, one of those two young men takes the stage, goaded on by his friend, and soon has the audience dancing to his melodies and words.
—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
22 May 2026
He was mocked and goaded by Callum Newman into attacking Shingo Takagi after Newman retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
The czar, goaded by his military advisors, mobilized the Russian army knowing that meant war.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Trump, though never restrained, is now pure id, acting on impulse and goaded on by advisers who see an opportunity to further expand executive power.
—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Her ups and downs were a regular punch line on late-night talk shows, starting with her first appearance on The Tonight Show in 1985, when she was goaded into agreeing to lose 15 lbs.
—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
Democrats saw him as a master of dark arts, beholden to his former pals in the oil industry and a warmonger who goaded the nation to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to help his benefactors.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
20 Nov. 2025
In one instance, Holmes alleged, Lorch goaded Holmes into a storage room and told him to climb a ladder to a lofted space to retrieve some uniforms.
—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goaded
Verb
-
The union’s chief negotiator urged Newsom and the state’s other leaders to include a raise for SEIU Local 1000 employees in light of the state’s relatively strong budget.
-
Democratic campaign committees also urged the Supreme Court to uphold the caps.
Verb
-
Rising demand in a massive, growing market, combined with shrinking supply from a broken model, has spurred new innovation.
-
Viral dog Jonah has spurred the Miami Marlins to donate a portion of ticket proceeds to help South Florida rescue dogs.
Verb
-
Customers are encouraged to check online to confirm hours for their nearest store.
-
Businesses can also partner with the nonprofit, while current and retired officers in need are encouraged to reach out directly for help.
Verb
-
Aemond kills the old man anyway, and then kills his sons, though not before being stabbed in the back himself.
-
When Chox Choc’s uncle tried to intervene, the teen stabbed him in the heart as well, the prosecutor said.
Verb
-
Pašalić had nudged the ball across goal after being picked out by a cross from wide.
-
Teenagers should not be nudged into parasocial dependency by synthetic friends that flatter them, mirror them back to themselves, and encourage them to come back for more.
Verb
-
Later in the second half, Olise teed up Ousmane Dembele with prodded outside-of-the-boot passes after picking up loose balls in front of the defence.
-
Lawyers for Julia Ormond are looking to have the court issue a bench warrant for the arrest of CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz for walking out of a deposition after being prodded about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Verb
-
But Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata stuck up his left foot, just in front of Neuer, and poked the ball into the net.
-
In the third round, Magomedov poked Pereira in the eye, forcing a roughly two-minute pause, and still no point came off.
Verb
-
That punched El Tri's ticket straight to the Round of 16 and kept the host nation's tournament dream alive for at least one more match.
-
Rocha punched it in the nose and the shark let go and swam away.
Cite this Entry
“Goaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goaded. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
