GOADED Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

goaded

verb

past tense of goad

as in urged

to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action tried to goad me into auditioning for the play

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in spurred

to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object goading the horse forward into the stall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 goaded Or Pablo Picasso, goaded into radicalism by the latest bizarre creations of Matisse, retreating to the Spanish mountain village of Gósol and, mere months later, beginning work on his proto-cubist masterpiece, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 The architect of the program’s revitalization will not be goaded into predictions or promises. — Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 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 He was mocked and goaded by Callum Newman into attacking Shingo Takagi after Newman retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026 The czar, goaded by his military advisors, mobilized the Russian army knowing that meant war. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026 Her ups and downs were a regular punch line on late-night talk shows, starting with her first appearance on The Tonight Show in 1985, when she was goaded into agreeing to lose 15 lbs. — Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025 Democrats saw him as a master of dark arts, beholden to his former pals in the oil industry and a warmonger who goaded the nation to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to help his benefactors. — Philip Elliott, Time, 20 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for goaded

Verb

The alert urged residents in the affected area to leave immediately and travel east on FM 2210.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Independence police at 816-325-7330 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of urged

Verb

This growth is particularly notable because the villages – often spurred by nonprofit and faith-based groups – have emerged outside conventional housing systems and are tailored to local circumstances.

— Brandon Marc Finn, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026
Her death spurred tributes from fellow musicians, politicians and TV and film stars on social media.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of spurred

Verb

When government applies the rules consistently, businesses have the confidence to invest, innovation is encouraged, public institutions earn greater trust and the public benefits.

— Robin Rossenfeld, Denver Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Anyone with information on the collision is encouraged to contact Officer Giovanni Zaino of the Middletown Police Patrol Division at 860-638-4000, ext 6323.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of encouraged

Verb

Two people were stabbed, one fatally, near Times Square on Monday afternoon, with responding authorities shooting and killing the female suspect, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
One of the two people who was stabbed also died, while the other victim was hospitalized in stable condition.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of stabbed

Verb

This nudged Bentley toward using sound made by living beings, rather than something synthesized.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
American buyers have spent years being nudged toward ever-larger crossovers and SUVs, while small hatchbacks have gradually disappeared from the mainstream.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of nudged

Verb

Better together Industry analysts, experts and insiders have consistently poked holes in the states' argument that the combination of TV networks would create antitrust issues.

— Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
So too were the buildings, including my hotel, which poked through the seven-foot-high snowbanks, looking like an ancient shipwreck covered in shifting sand.

— Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

The first arrest came in May 2025, after Rodriguez allegedly punched his father in the face when asked to turn off his loud music, according to court records.

— Harry Harris, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
Police say Moore stole cash from a woman, then punched her and a second woman when he was confronted.

— Jessica Riley, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of punched

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goad

goaded

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“Goaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goaded. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of goaded

verb

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