1
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
accidentally nudged me as they squeezed past
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to urge
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
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 nudge
Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
After opening its first location in Dana Point in 2024, which helped nudge the coastal enclave into destination-dining territory, Truly Pizza will debut its second outpost in Laguna Beach on May 7.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
New Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins credited Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, for giving him a big nudge during his free-agency decision.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Verb
This external stripping accelerates the heating and expansion of the dwarf galaxy, nudging it toward that dynamical attractor even faster.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
After opening its first location in Dana Point in 2024, which helped nudge the coastal enclave into destination-dining territory, Truly Pizza will debut its second outpost in Laguna Beach on May 7.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
This wasn’t a gentle nudge into the next phase of life.
—Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
New Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins credited Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, for giving him a big nudge during his free-agency decision.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge
Verb
-
Served with Catalan flatbread chips ($12), redfish Galicia, a fish brushed with extra-virgin olive oil, cooked in a sauce pan with garlic butter, baked with lemon zest.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Wipe the sink after brushing teeth or washing your face.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shortly after the ruling, Republicans were urging a review of their congressional maps in Louisiana, Tennessee and elsewhere.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
With the new dietary guidelines urging a boost in daily protein, especially red meat, high-fiber foods might get left behind.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His step-back jumper with 32 seconds left was the exclamation point, a shot that ended Orlando’s final push and extended Detroit’s season.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The push is part of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement and retooled dietary guidelines released at the beginning of the year.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
People should avoid kissing or snuggling with backyard birds, the CDC says.—
Jonel Aleccia,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
His son Bret recalled his father’s postgame smiles, hugs and kisses with his wife of 58 years Debbie.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, today Uranus enters a part of your chart to stay for six years, encouraging impulsive vacations, surprising romance and unexpected children.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The authors stress the need for a robust public domain for information and for IP to be fairly applied alongside the public domain in order to encourage economic growth and innovation.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Ravens’ first pick Thursday was Penn State’s Vega Ioane, a 6-foot-4 and 326-pound guard who is described as a mauler and who vowed that no one is going to touch his quarterback, Lamar Jackson.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
For this reason, produce that has been touched by floodwater is no longer considered food-safe and should not be consumed.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nudge. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
