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
To manage the thousands of people who descend daily, operators have studied visitors’ behavior and engineered their parks to move people around without anyone realizing they’re being nudged.
—
Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
Student tickets nudged down, too, from 8,013 to 7,823.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
The result can be that all tasks get nudged into the periphery of your attention.
—Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
Creating rentals aided lower-income families and nudged rents down.
—Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
June was restated to show a net job loss of 13,000—the first decline since 2020—while July’s gain was nudged higher, leaving overall employment 21,000 lower than previously reported.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The central bank has nudged up its short-term policy rate and scaled back bond-buying operations, all signaling that keeping yields contained will be a tough ask.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The illusion of infinite choice online masks a narrowing of exposure to new ideas — millions scrolling different feeds, but being nudged toward the same few ways of thinking.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Those who were nudged toward valuing youthfulness saw more of it in themselves and in their friends.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
Student tickets nudged down, too, from 8,013 to 7,823.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
The result can be that all tasks get nudged into the periphery of your attention.
—Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
Creating rentals aided lower-income families and nudged rents down.
—Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
June was restated to show a net job loss of 13,000—the first decline since 2020—while July’s gain was nudged higher, leaving overall employment 21,000 lower than previously reported.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The central bank has nudged up its short-term policy rate and scaled back bond-buying operations, all signaling that keeping yields contained will be a tough ask.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The illusion of infinite choice online masks a narrowing of exposure to new ideas — millions scrolling different feeds, but being nudged toward the same few ways of thinking.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Those who were nudged toward valuing youthfulness saw more of it in themselves and in their friends.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudged
Verb
-
The Dutchman brushed off his marker and met the ball with his head.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
At the time, Cruse brushed off critics who raised questions about such posts.—
Mary Spicuzza,
jsonline.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
China urged the United States on Friday to address their dispute through dialogue.—
AFP,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Authorities have not yet revealed the full details of how Robinson was detained, but multiple reports suggested that his father urged him to surrender after recognizing his son in the grainy surveillance footage released by police.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No one mentions Kyle at all, though not hours before, Solène cuddled him in his cabin and kissed him goodnight.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Adolescence star Erin Doherty won her first Emmy, and kissed her girlfriend on the way up to the stage.—
James Factora,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In his acceptance speech, Cooper revealed only started drama classes a couple of years ago and encouraged those watching to step out of their comfort zones.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
-
In recent years, as American moms have been enthusiastically encouraged to breastfeed, many experts have emphasized that making sure infants are fed, period, should be parents’ highest priority.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudged. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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