nudge

verb

ˈnəj How to pronounce nudge (audio)
nudged; nudging
Synonyms of nudgenext

transitive verb

1
: to touch or push gently
… nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.— Paul Theroux
especially : to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow
… nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy … — J. K. Rowling
2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …— Janet Bamford
3
: approach
its circulation is nudging the four million mark— Bennett Cerf

intransitive verb

: to give a nudge
She nudged and jostled through the crowd.
nudge noun
nudger noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of nudge in a Sentence

I nudged the plate closer to him. The guard nudged the prisoner forward. The dog nudged the ball with his nose. He nudged me and pointed to the deer.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Kansas erased an 11-point, second-half deficit and nudged ahead 65-64 on a follow shot by Storr with less than six minutes remaining. — Kyle Hightower, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025 That followed a report Wednesday indicating that the consumer price rate had nudged lower as well, providing some welcome news amid concerns that the Trump tariffs would aggravate inflation. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025 Perhaps the most encouraging news is that rent increased a relatively modest 0.3% for the third month, extending a a slowdown and nudging the annual increase from 4.2% to 4.1%, the smallest since January 2022. — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 Just a nudge up to 6.0% would be a big deal, jumping him ahead of a whole bunch of pitchers. — Tony Blengino, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nudge

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nudge was in 1675

Rhymes for nudge

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Browse Nearby Words

nudge
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Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

nudge

verb
ˈnəj How to pronounce nudge (audio)
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially : to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nudge

Nglish: Translation of nudge for Spanish Speakers

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