nudged; nudging
Synonyms of nudge

transitive verb

1
: to touch or push gently
nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.Paul Theroux
especially : to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy … J. K. Rowling
2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …Janet Bamford
3
: approach
… its circulation is nudging the four million mark …Bennett Cerf

intransitive verb

: to give a nudge
She nudged and jostled through the crowd.
nudge noun
nudger noun

nudger

2 of 2

noun

nudg·​er
-jə(r)
plural -s
: one that nudges

Examples of nudge in a Sentence

Verb I nudged the plate closer to him. The guard nudged the prisoner forward. The dog nudged the ball with his nose. He nudged me and pointed to the deer. The salesman nudged her into testing out the car. Album sales are nudging the one million mark. The price of gold has nudged a little higher.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Fashion has actually been nudging us in this direction for a while. Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026 This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Her juxtapositions nudge what is commonplace into something larger, polyphonic and new. Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 This nudged Bentley toward using sound made by living beings, rather than something synthesized. Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nudge

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nudge was in 1675

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially : to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge noun
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