SPURS Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

spurs 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spur

as in stabs

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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spurs

2 of 2

noun

plural of spur

as in incentives

something that arouses action or activity the threat of losing its only sports franchise was the spur the city council needed to finally do something about the rising crime rate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in supports

a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else a weak wall that might need a spur

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 spurs

Verb

Correlation, after all, tends to be strongest when a sudden shock spurs investors to take risk off in tandem. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Whatever the culture, there’s a term for witnessing the changing colors of leaves, a universal act that spurs awe and wonder and makes one reflect on the passage of time. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026 Her biggest hope for Matthew’s next four years is that his presence at school spurs a greater understanding and compassion for folks with special needs among the general student population. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 An alarming downside is that this openly spurs an AI to potentially wreak havoc and commit cyberattacks throughout the Internet, even though it is seemingly only being tested. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Hunger, in turn, fights against weight loss and possibly even spurs more weight gain. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 Don’t Fertilize Fertilizer spurs grass to grow quickly and growth demands carbohydrates which are in short supply during a heat wave. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026 This combination captures people’s moral attention and spurs them to action. — Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026 Utility costs are climbing nationwide as demand surges to feed energy-hungry data centers, and climate change spurs costly upgrades. — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Noun

One exhibit brings together the then-future president’s buckskin jacket and pants, his rifle, Tiffany knife, his spurs, and his branding irons. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026 But aside from gifting Zane with spurs, Beth’s more or less a spectator through all of the Jackson family drama. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 19 June 2026 Yeezy works into the evening, hacking at jagged spurs of plastic and tapping away with a special brass gunsmith’s hammer. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026 Gold and silver metallic tones can also be used to evoke the look of belt buckles, spurs, and other metallic accessories. — Elle Turner, Glamour, 31 May 2026 Spain’s Rif War, where future Spanish dictator Francisco Franco won his spurs, served as a crucible for the values and military tactics of the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War where Franco treated his Republican enemy with the same humanity dealt out to Rif inhabitants. — John Hopewell, Variety, 12 May 2026 Columbine is an early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, giving your garden a head start in spring. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026 Pairing it with columbine, an early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, ensures your garden has food available from the start. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026 Columbine — An early-season bloomer with nectar-rich spurs, perfect for getting hummingbird activity started in spring. — Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurs

Verb

But before Bane can finish him off, Batman stabs a Batarang into a little knob on Bane’s wrist gauntlet, the one that controls his intake of Venom.

— Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
When Little Death stabs into their victim, there’s a geyser of blood, way more than could fit inside a human body.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of stabs

Noun

Industry stakeholders argued that the measure had the unintended consequence of hamstringing Hollywood’s recovery by limiting the ability of studios to use state incentives for in-state production.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Pritzker even signed a 2019 bill that encouraged the use of tax incentives to help ensure data-center growth.

— David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of incentives

Verb

Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
This is strong language, which pokes at our tribal memory of gasoline shortages from the 1970’s.

— George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of pokes

Noun

Many folks send encouragements toward OP mom and her son, while others put heat on the other parents for sexualizing their kids’ friendship.

— DeVonne Goode, Parents, 26 July 2026
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.

— Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026

Definition of encouragements

Noun

Naya, who needed braces and positioning equipment after surgery, can now walk around the unit’s terrace, per the Toronto Star.

— Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Advertised as more comfortable and quicker than traditional braces, the treatment has helped people who avoided braces for cosmetic and other reasons.

— Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of braces

Verb

Northlight Theatre inaugurates its swank Evanston digs with The Front Page, set in a Chicago newsroom and starring real-life spouses Kate Fry and Timothy Edward Kane.

— Web Behrens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
The influencer digs the knife in even deeper by explaining that Brady’s ex-wife Gisele Bundchen lives with their two kids, Vivian, 13, and son Benjamin, 16, and her new husband Joaquim Valente.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of digs

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spurring

spurs

spurt

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“Spurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurs. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spurs

verb

noun

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