1
as in brushed
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
accidentally nudged me as they squeezed past
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urged
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 nudged
In contrast to Luckin's typical offerings priced at roughly $1 or $2 for an Americano or latte, the flagship store has nudged prices slightly higher for a range of pour-over and cold brew coffee drinks.
—
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
In nonconference games, Arizona nudged Florida (93-87), UCLA (69-65) and UConn (71-67) and also ran away from Auburn (97-68) and Alabama (96-75).
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2026
Who gets nudged toward higher-margin products?
—Aisha Alves, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2026
Las Vegas finished 28th in yards allowed during his first season in 2022 but finished 15th in 2023 and 2024 and nudged up to 14th in 2025.
—CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Richardson appeared to grill Coleman and nudged him before shoving him into a wall, nudging him more later on.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
But this was a breakout year for Victorious’s Leon Thomas, who nudged a song or two into department store rotation after moonlighting in music for ages.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
To the person being nudged, this can feel unsympathetic or intrusive.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Neuroplasticity thrives when the brain is nudged just beyond its comfort zone.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
In nonconference games, Arizona nudged Florida (93-87), UCLA (69-65) and UConn (71-67) and also ran away from Auburn (97-68) and Alabama (96-75).
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2026
Who gets nudged toward higher-margin products?
—Aisha Alves, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2026
Las Vegas finished 28th in yards allowed during his first season in 2022 but finished 15th in 2023 and 2024 and nudged up to 14th in 2025.
—CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Richardson appeared to grill Coleman and nudged him before shoving him into a wall, nudging him more later on.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
But this was a breakout year for Victorious’s Leon Thomas, who nudged a song or two into department store rotation after moonlighting in music for ages.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
To the person being nudged, this can feel unsympathetic or intrusive.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Neuroplasticity thrives when the brain is nudged just beyond its comfort zone.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudged
Verb
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Hunt has brushed off the spots, saying his opponents are scared by his growing presence in the race.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her front pieces were similarly brushed away from her forehead and secured in place by a clip; the rest was tucked behind her opposite ear.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Footage of the incident shows King Charles greeting dozens of residents when one man shouted at him, asking whether the monarch had urged police to investigate his disgraced brother, according to The Times.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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His statements come after Trump moved to cut oil supply to the country and urged Cuban leaders to strike a deal, following the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Leaning over his 12-year-old daughter's body, Rami Essam Abu Jamea kissed her cheek.—
Ammar Cheikh Omar,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
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The two kissed again as Jelly Roll was announced as the winner of Best Contemporary Country Album.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Schwartz encouraged the public to be active participants in community science.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Organizers encouraged people to join to stand together in love, peace and prayer.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudged. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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