prod 1 of 2

verb

ˈpräd How to pronounce prod (audio)
Definition of prodnext
1
as in to poke
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object kept prodding the sheep with a staff to move along faster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to urge
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action a public outcry eventually prodded the politicians into action

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prod

2 of 2

noun

as in stimulus

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 prod
Verb
Rather than be daunted by scale or fear of the unknown, determination—destiny, even—prod the poet-philosopher up this craggy citadel to glory. — A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026 On that occasion, Argentina sought to prod, poke and provoke; Enzo Fernandez left one on the head of Elliot Anderson early on, Leandro Paredes caught the ankle of Jude Bellingham. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Noun
The cutbacks are going far beyond a friendly prod to boost NATO defense spending. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 This one came on an innocent prod at the basketball, a tap that occurred a solid 85 feet away from the hoop on which his assignment, Jalen Brunson, hoped to score. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prod
  1. poke
  2. urge
  3. stimulus
  4. spur
  5. encourage
  6. stimulation
  7. stab
  8. nudge
Verb
  • Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Most of what’s actionable comes from the signal that might be poking through.
    — Ben Gretch, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
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
Noun
  • What is your approach to writing, in terms of outside stimuli?
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The third is to develop novel variations of your stimuli or your benchmark items in order to test robustness and generalization.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulus
Verb
  • The changes were spurred in large part by soaring real-estate prices and Italian families cashing in.
    — Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Ossoff first voted to block weapons sales to Israel in November 2024, spurring a critical open letter from several Georgia Jewish organizations including synagogues, Jewish schools, the local Anti-Defamation League chapter and other groups.
    — Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of spur
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
  • There are also sessions of Cranio Sacral Balance, EmSella pelvic-floor activation, Exomind brain stimulation, lymphatic drainage, and physiotherapy.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Rouben Madikians, a flight attendant of 40 years, recommends blocking out some of that stimulation instead.
    — Brandon Schultz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulation
Verb
  • She had been beaten and stabbed inside her home, and her body was then placed in the trunk of her car.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The 33-year-old man accused of killing his mother in their family’s apartment had stabbed his parent repeatedly in the face and chest, Bronx prosecutors said Friday.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stab
Verb
  • In other words, spikes in acetaldehyde seem to nudge people to stop drinking.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • While both sides try to hold firm, lawmakers continue to nudge Greer.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of nudge

Browse Nearby Words

procuring
prod
prodded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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