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

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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

Audi would love to build a third-generation R8, but the company has stubbornly refused to nudge the Nuvolari in that direction. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026 Her juxtapositions nudge what is commonplace into something larger, polyphonic and new. — Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Noun

The 25-year-old Super Bowl MVP doesn’t need much instruction, save for a nudge here or there about keeping his eyes up and focused or making sure his hips are lower than his tacklers. — Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 The longtime couple, Kathy and Jim, are hoping to find a nurse named Delia, whose sweet nudge became the foundation for their decades-long union, according to a Monday, July 27 press release from Canadian public health authority Fraser Health. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nudge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nudge

Verb

There’s so little cohesion from week to week that last episode’s dramatic cliffhanger — Susan in handcuffs after Rhonda accuses her of kidnapping — is brushed off in an aside in the opening scene.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Lightly brush the dough with buttermilk and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 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

By taking stem cells from a host’s own body and encouraging them to differentiate before mixing them with a commercially available, soluble matrix gel, researchers may have cracked the most critical problems in the transplant process.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
The bark can also be stripped from the branch, called girdling, which encourages faster root growth.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nudge

verb

noun

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