1
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
accidentally nudged me as they squeezed past
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the car salesman nudged me into taking a test-drive, even though I had said that I was just looking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nudge
Andre Mouchard, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Breaking a barrier Engineers at JPL and a private company named AeroVironment, the same partners that developed Ingenuity, recently made a breakthrough in the lab to nudge the SkyFall mission closer to reality.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
If your mom is the type who puts everyone else first (so, most moms), this is a gentle nudge to do something purely for herself.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Verb
Later, when the oldest hit her mid-teens and eventually went off to college, the two boys were nudged into leadership roles of their own and nominally put in charge of the youngest kid, a sister.
—Andre Mouchard, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Breaking a barrier Engineers at JPL and a private company named AeroVironment, the same partners that developed Ingenuity, recently made a breakthrough in the lab to nudge the SkyFall mission closer to reality.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Noun
There will be plenty of fuel for storms to tap into and explode in strength, but any storms will need a little nudge of energy to start developing in the first place.
—Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
If your mom is the type who puts everyone else first (so, most moms), this is a gentle nudge to do something purely for herself.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
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Additional layers are applied to fill gaps and create a smooth surface before a final coat of lacquer is brushed on.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
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Yet younger people may be more likely to brush off shingles symptoms as NBD and have less awareness of what the illness actually is.—
Petra Guglielmetti,
Glamour,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Citing statements from jurors and a county clerk who aided Hill, Murdaugh's lawyers say Hill urged jurors not to be confused by Murdaugh's defense tactics and to watch his body language — and that she was motivated by plans to publish a book about the case.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
13 May 2026
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Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images India, the world's second-largest gold consumer, has raised import duties on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to curb bullion purchases for a year as overseas purchases pressure the rupee.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The Bluey debut is part of the resort’s Cool Kids’ Summer promotional push.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2026
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Like Cuba itself, the diplomatic push was on the brink of collapse.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Even with the windows open all the way, the heat is hugging us, kissing us, pinching our cheeks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Do not kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, especially the chicks.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Responding to comments, asking for feedback, and giving shout-outs to active viewers fosters a sense of community and encourages continued engagement.—
Adam Rumanek,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2026
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Techniques such as reinforcement learning from human feedback encourage the model toward preferred responses.—
Sandeep Shilawat,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Search the internet and there are coaches and players spotted sniffing the ammonia inhalants before a game, with their instant reactions — a noticeable head jerk or contorted face — going viral.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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Hethington didn’t want to cannibalize his menu with the dish, instead compromising with a jerk lamb shank, and a whole Chinese Trini chicken, an homage to the popular takeout food in Trinidad.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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With data centers the size of dozens of football fields combined sprouting up around the country, residents have protested the construction of AI infrastructure, which McKinsey projected to touch $7 trillion in capital expenditures by 2030.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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