NUDGE Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

nudge 1 of 2

verb

ˈnəj

Definition of nudge

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

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

nudge

2 of 2

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

Verb

Afternoon temperatures will also nudge back up into the mid and upper 80s,as well. — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Fifty years in the shadows, gently nudging Southland kids into the light. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Noun

How to ripen tomatoes faster at home If a tomato needs a nudge, a paper bag will do the work. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026 Others cast doubt on whether the Fed will raise rates at all over the remainder of 2026, noting an apparent willingness on the part of Warsh to let the market push borrowing costs higher without a nudge from the central bank. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nudge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge

Verb

Amid this backdrop, cybersecurity companies have skyrocketed in value as businesses recognize the security need and have managed to brush off earlier disruption concerns that rattled the broader software sector this year.

— Samantha Subin, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Kusama was called pop, avant-garde, feminist, just to name some of the categories thrown at her, most of which Kusama brushed off as not quite representative of her art.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of brush

Verb

The criticism then broadened, with Jewish leaders, museum donors and New York politicians publicly urging the museum to reconsider.

— Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
The Sierra Club emailed notices to members last week urging them to enter the permit lottery again.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of urge

Verb

The jeweler recently posted up-close photos of the ring on Instagram, as well as a snap of Lee wearing a white veil and kissing Posty’s head while showing off the sparkling rock on her finger to the camera.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026
On a recent day, Ramadhan’s oldest child, not even 3, kissed the twins on the cheeks and recognized a photo of their mother.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of kiss

Verb

Producer and 10 Lives founder and CEO Daniel Catullo set the stage for such a party by introducing the film and encouraging audience members to get out of their seats during the showing and record clips of the doc.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
So his church—which has raised many millions of dollars for good causes, and operates a local food pantry and food truck—decided to distribute lawn signs simply encouraging people to be kind.

— Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of encourage

Noun

The latter accidentally does happen, which leads to power struggles between the bigoted jerk and our trio of heroines.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Duffy, for his part, came across as a real jerk at times, but surprisingly charming at others, with a half-nerd, half-jock mien—sweepy hair, big glasses, a megawatt smile—that put me in mind of a Wisconsin Sam Seaborn.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of jerk

Verb

Her team said they were touched by the idea and are open to continuing the conversation, according to Lee.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
Chinese cars are effectively banned in the United States through steep tariffs and regulatory restrictions, but that doesn’t apply to everything China touches in the auto industry.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of touch

Browse Nearby Words

nude

nudge

nudged

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Style

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

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Synonyms of nudge

verb

noun

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