Thesaurus results for SPURRED

spurred

verb

Definition of spurred

past tense of spur

as in dug

to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object gently spurred the horse with his heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 spurred 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 The shooting left 17 students and faculty dead and spurred a national reckoning with gun violence in schools and campus safety. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Ellison's interest ultimately spurred a formal sale process that superseded a plan by WBD to split in two. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 That has spurred a sprint by Democratic and Republican candidates running this year who appear to be recalibrating their positions on data centers as states and local governments rush to come up with new rules and regulations. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 His grandson's election as vice president of the United States spurred pride in the Midwestern city, though Vance has faced some pushback to his portrayal of it in the book. — ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026 The 25th anniversary of the attacks has spurred many news organizations to offer a broader array of programming, which in most years is largely tied to comemmoration. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 In September, Abbott issued an executive order on THC that spurred the new regulations. — Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurred

Verb

Each volunteer selected a site, dug a hole, and collected a soil sample.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
For decades, activists and Myers’ legal team have dug through the wreckage of his case.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of dug

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

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

Verb

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, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of goaded

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