1
as in kisses
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 urges
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 nudges
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
The stratospheric warming has weakened the high-altitude vortex slightly, which nudges the polar jet stream and allows some Arctic air to escape.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Queen Charlotte spends Season 3 sparring with and hunting down Lady Whistledown, while Lady Danbury nudges her to pay attention to the peerage, and in particular, Francesca.
—Kari Sonde, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Mimio is a daily supplement that nudges your metabolism to stay on track.
—Air Mail, 24 Jan. 2026
Pisces February 19 – March 20 This morning nudges you into gentle motion.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
February 19 – March 20 This morning nudges you into gentle motion.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
After weeks of mental focus, the universe nudges you inward.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 18 Jan. 2026
On top of that, perhaps the AI nudges the person further down the rabbit hole.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Verb
Each change nudges users toward subscriptions.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
The stratospheric warming has weakened the high-altitude vortex slightly, which nudges the polar jet stream and allows some Arctic air to escape.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Queen Charlotte spends Season 3 sparring with and hunting down Lady Whistledown, while Lady Danbury nudges her to pay attention to the peerage, and in particular, Francesca.
—Kari Sonde, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Mimio is a daily supplement that nudges your metabolism to stay on track.
—Air Mail, 24 Jan. 2026
Pisces February 19 – March 20 This morning nudges you into gentle motion.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
February 19 – March 20 This morning nudges you into gentle motion.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
After weeks of mental focus, the universe nudges you inward.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 18 Jan. 2026
On top of that, perhaps the AI nudges the person further down the rabbit hole.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudges
Verb
-
Sprinkle some hugs and kisses around your home with this pretty XO wreath.—
Nomita Vaish-Taylor,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Experiement with hearts, bows, and kisses for a thematic look, or keep it subtle with a few coats of red or pink.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Oz urges vaccinations amid measles outbreaks Health officials in Washington are warning people who attended the March For Life last month that they may have been exposed to measles, a highly contagious but easily preventable illness.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The letter urges Nurrenbern to continue to oppose Hall’s nomination.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wartime campaigns to coax and chide Americans into doing their part to conserve resources and volunteer for the war effort translated easily into pushes for vaccination and sanitation.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
While the past couple years saw big pushes for Marvel's cinematic superheroes, the studio was not expected to do the same this year.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Elizabeth Scott brushes off the comparison.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
23 Dec. 2025
-
If someone does bring up his teary picture, Wallake brushes it off.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The evening was more about the vibe; Gelman encourages all guests to dress up in fancy cocktail attire.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Perhaps that’s because, unlike other reality dating TV shows like The Bachelor and Love Island, the series encourages frank conversations about politics and social issues that mirror dating in the modern age.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Moreover, where most clients are great, some are jerks.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Around the size of a bathtub, the grille touches 70 percent of the menu, an idea that Greenberg has been familiar with since childhood.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Otherwise that proves to be a checklist of several things the movie scarcely touches on at all.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Johnson has only nine jams per NBA shot tracking data, while Richardson has only four dunks this season.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Enjoy them raw in salads, smoothies, and juices, or up the beta carotene availability by cooking them into homemade jams, baked goods, sauces, marinades, or stews.—
Christina Manian,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudges. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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