1
as in poking
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object
kept prodding the sheep with a staff to move along faster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in urging
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prodding
There are close-ups of hands kneading dough, a snail sliming its way up a window and Cathy prodding a jellied fish with her finger.
—
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Elliott, which took a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo in September, has been prodding the company’s board to make changes, saying PepsiCo was being hurt by slowing growth and lower profits in its North American food and beverage business.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Wondrous Neptune is soaring into your 9th House of Investigations, prodding you out of your comfort zone.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Jordan, at times, could be abrasive and biting while relentlessly prodding his teammates to push themselves to excellence.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The moment in 1997 when the esoteric holiday left the closed confines of the television writer’s memories of an atypical adolescence and slipped into the world via Hollywood producers took place as he was cornered in a booth with his colleagues prodding him to spill the beans.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025
Near the end of the October hearing, with prodding from the judge, Bruno sounded ready to accept the university’s settlement offer and move on with his life.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Dec. 2025
PepsiCo is making the changes after prodding from Elliott Investment Management, which took a $4 billion stake in the company in September.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
For decades, American presidents have tried to solve these states’ inherent tensions by attacking or otherwise prodding them.
—Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Elliott, which took a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo in September, has been prodding the company’s board to make changes, saying PepsiCo was being hurt by slowing growth and lower profits in its North American food and beverage business.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Wondrous Neptune is soaring into your 9th House of Investigations, prodding you out of your comfort zone.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Jordan, at times, could be abrasive and biting while relentlessly prodding his teammates to push themselves to excellence.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The moment in 1997 when the esoteric holiday left the closed confines of the television writer’s memories of an atypical adolescence and slipped into the world via Hollywood producers took place as he was cornered in a booth with his colleagues prodding him to spill the beans.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025
Near the end of the October hearing, with prodding from the judge, Bruno sounded ready to accept the university’s settlement offer and move on with his life.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Dec. 2025
PepsiCo is making the changes after prodding from Elliott Investment Management, which took a $4 billion stake in the company in September.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
For decades, American presidents have tried to solve these states’ inherent tensions by attacking or otherwise prodding them.
—Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodding
Verb
-
The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Arab and Islamic countries, including Turkey and Qatar, have been urging both sides to show restraint, warning that any strike or retaliation could have destabilizing consequences for a region already strained by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The cases led investigators to release Garcia-Aquino's picture, urging any potential victims to come forward.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Directed by Don Prod, the clip tracks the British rapper driving an old Aston Martin, drinking whiskey, and literally digging his own grave.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
12 Feb. 2026
-
And honestly, who enjoys digging through mostly empty bottles just to find one tiny pill?—
Carin Ryan,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The challenge lies in balancing functional benefit with the risk of encouraging unnecessary anthropomorphism and its broader social consequences.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
-
This structure is intended to help keep value circulating within the community, encouraging positive participation rather than framing compliance as a penalty.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What’s spurring the slide now isn’t a dearth of information or cutting-edge medicine.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The far higher leverage, action-spurring pressure point on March 6, however, is still the main event.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The former is a ring on the bottom of the rock that skids across the ice, and the latter is a band around the sides of the rock that collides with other rocks (ideally knocking an opponent’s rock off the bull’s-eye or nudging your team’s closer to it).—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Shared decision-making tools that present options in balanced, comprehensible formats can support informed choice without nudging patients toward any particular decision.—
Jared Rhoads,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mohammed Ahmad Hussein al-Halsi was sentenced in 2016 to 18 years behind bars for stabbing elderly women.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Another Jefferson County circuit judge, Jessica Green, last year drew local and national criticism after granting shock probation to a 32-year-old man accused of abducting a mother and two children and stabbing the mother during a bank robbery.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Reporters looking to stir up trouble in the press room were goading American players, particularly those with foreign-sounding last names.—
Beth Herman,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Julian and Neil take to goading and championing the understandably hangdog Matt.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodding. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
