1
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
a public outcry eventually prodded the politicians into action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stimulus
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of prod
Corey Hutchins, The Conversation, 23 July 2025
Amid the devastation, first responders and volunteers trudge into muck and mud, scramble over debris piles and check emotions to poke and prod and chop and saw in search of still-missing victims.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 7 July 2025
Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Naked people are collared, bound, prodded, whipped, ridden like horses, roasted over spits.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prod
Verb
My newsletter also pokes and prods, critiques and uplifts, and seeks to spark debate and a better understanding about the practice of local journalism.
—Corey Hutchins, The Conversation, 23 July 2025
Amid the devastation, first responders and volunteers trudge into muck and mud, scramble over debris piles and check emotions to poke and prod and chop and saw in search of still-missing victims.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 7 July 2025
Noun
But Voccola said he was prodded into action after the City Commission voted 3-2 in June to postpone the November 2025 election to 2026 without voter approval.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Naked people are collared, bound, prodded, whipped, ridden like horses, roasted over spits.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prod
Verb
-
Keep communication open by avoiding poking fun at these practices.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
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Gibson proceeded to the Children’s Chorus room, where two staffers welcomed her to poke through the costume racks.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plaintiffs, including people who benefited from the legal protections, urged the appeals court to endorse the district court ruling, which found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could not categorically end protections for these groups, but instead had to evaluate each case individually.—
Michael Casey,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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Ficco urged those who sports bet to use reputable online big platforms, do research about where people deposit their money and be cautious.—
Patricio Chile,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Forty years ago, Donald Homa, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University specializing in memory and the visual perception of linguistic stimuli, was contacted by officials at the American Speed Reading Academy with an extraordinary tale.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The hope was that a quick jolt of stimulus (delivered without haste) could stir an economic recovery.—
Robert Goulder,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That spurred a rally in bonds as investors sought safe havens and ramped up bets that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this week.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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Since George Floyd’s 2020 murder spurred a public reckoning, including in the art world, Chiu has helped the Crocker acquire more than 100 works.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Knocking down webs on your porch and around entries will encourage spiders to move on to somewhere else.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
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Readers should not rely solely on the content of this article and are encouraged to seek professional advice tailored to their specific circumstances.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For those with prostates, perineal stimulation can also indirectly create deep arousal and enhance orgasm.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Weimaraners are another high-energy option, requiring both mental and physical stimulation.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the third, a man stabbed his cell mate multiple times and attempted to hide his body under a sheet.—
Christopher Damien,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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The assailant then walked into the restaurant’s breakroom and began stabbing the victim multiple times, police said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Sure, word warfare can nudge us on some issues – like yea or nay on a state infrastructure initiative or a county sales tax or a school district bond.—
Sarah Stein Lubrano,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prod. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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