1
as in stabs
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
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2
as in urges
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
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Recent Examples of prods
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Kate says when Laurie prods her to speak her mind.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
The two do some earnest bonding over being child actors and their mutual love of John Cassavettes and A Woman Under the Influence, but some of the most delightful bits between them occur when Lawrence prods him into laughter.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
The film takes place over three years in Valbona, a suburban district of Barcelona, as Guerín prods at issues of displacement, identity, urban life, and ecological conflicts in this small neighborhood that serves as a microcosm of the world.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
This kind of mutual caretaking, physical as well as emotional, prods larger conversations about the state of the world — particularly, Marie-Lou’s nursing home facing a perpetual funding crisis.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Kate says when Laurie prods her to speak her mind.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
The two do some earnest bonding over being child actors and their mutual love of John Cassavettes and A Woman Under the Influence, but some of the most delightful bits between them occur when Lawrence prods him into laughter.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
The film takes place over three years in Valbona, a suburban district of Barcelona, as Guerín prods at issues of displacement, identity, urban life, and ecological conflicts in this small neighborhood that serves as a microcosm of the world.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prods
Verb
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Imagine that, without any apparent reason to do so, the AI urges users to do a smackdown.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The report urges Sacramento to follow San Francisco and Berkeley in restricting non-moving violation enforcement.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
To Robin Wright’s multimillionaire gallery owner Laura, her son’s new girlfriend is a sleazy opportunist, a gold digger who lies about her academic and professional credentials and goads Laura by going down on Daniel (Laurie Davidson) in Laura’s house with the door open.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Responding to comments, asking for feedback, and giving shout-outs to active viewers fosters a sense of community and encourages continued engagement.—
Adam Rumanek,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2026
-
The moon in Taurus encourages you to go with the flow and stop forcing an outcome.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps sensing this, the league trotted out a series of onstage stimuli between picks.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Eliciting disgust, even through unrelated stimuli, can intensify moral judgment.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Weather impacts of super El Niños El Niño spurs a broad range of weather impacts across the globe, including in parts of the United States.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
What few efforts do exist to address alcohol’s harms have been overshadowed by the opioid crisis, a parallel drug epidemic that attracts more funding, spurs more policy change, and garners more media attention despite being vastly less deadly.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The hormone, in turn, nudges the brain back toward waking once the night’s repair work is done.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
-
Once repair is complete, growth hormone activates a brainstem region called the locus coeruleus, which gently nudges you toward waking.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prods. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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