spurred

Definition of spurrednext
past tense of spur
as in dug
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object gently spurred the horse with his heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 spurred Shares in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan rebounded from earlier losses spurred by selling of technology companies due to concerns over the sustainability of the boom in artificial intelligence. ABC News, 30 June 2026 The crime spurred long-running conversations in her home about crime, punishment and how society should respond after someone commits an act of violence. Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 Apple Stores, early on, weren’t meeting projections and costs were always high, but over time innovation spurred traffic and productivity. David Moin, Footwear News, 26 June 2026 Gore’s call to action spurred expensive emissions reductions. Bjorn Lomborg, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spurred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred
Verb
  • Each of the nine San Diego batters got his chance against Sasaki in the second, and the team quickly dug the Dodgers into a six-run hole.
    Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Allin responds by saying that if that's what Knight wants, he's dug his own grave.
    Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Aemond kills the old man anyway, and then kills his sons, though not before being stabbed in the back himself.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • When Chox Choc’s uncle tried to intervene, the teen stabbed him in the heart as well, the prosecutor said.
    John Annese, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Later in the second half, Olise teed up Ousmane Dembele with prodded outside-of-the-boot passes after picking up loose balls in front of the defence.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Lawyers for Julia Ormond are looking to have the court issue a bench warrant for the arrest of CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz for walking out of a deposition after being prodded about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
    Winston Cho for The Hollywood Reporter, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • But Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata stuck up his left foot, just in front of Neuer, and poked the ball into the net.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 27 June 2026
  • In the third round, Magomedov poked Pereira in the eye, forcing a roughly two-minute pause, and still no point came off.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • That punched El Tri's ticket straight to the Round of 16 and kept the host nation's tournament dream alive for at least one more match.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Rocha punched it in the nose and the shark let go and swam away.
    Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Anthony provoked and goaded Metcalf, Wirskye said.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2026
  • In the ensuing chaos, one of those two young men takes the stage, goaded on by his friend, and soon has the audience dancing to his melodies and words.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 May 2026
Verb
  • Pašalić had nudged the ball across goal after being picked out by a cross from wide.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • Teenagers should not be nudged into parasocial dependency by synthetic friends that flatter them, mirror them back to themselves, and encourage them to come back for more.
    Ryan McBain, STAT, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Tatis led off and knocked Boyd's fifth pitch over the left-field bleachers onto Waveland Avenue, before Chicago answered in the bottom of the inning when Seiya Suzuki scored on Carson Kelly's RBI single.
    CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Kale said her 11-year-old and 16-year-old sons knocked the bat off her and killed it.
    Kelli Arseneau, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spurred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurred. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on spurred

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster