nudge

verb

nudged; nudging

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 markBennett Cerf

intransitive verb

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

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. The salesman nudged her into testing out the car. Album sales are nudging the one million mark. The price of gold has nudged a little higher.
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.
The off-market transaction, which closed last month, nudged past the previous record, a $59 million penthouse at the Getty, snagged by private-equity mogul Robert F. Smith in 2018. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2025 What to Consider The investment price of these earplugs will nudge you to take extra care with handling them. Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2025 One powerful concept in BCM is nudging, which involves small, subtle changes in messaging or design that encourage positive behavior. Jacquelyn Lamar Berney, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 The move is the latest aimed at nudging consumers to pay with a bank account to avoid credit card processing fees and reduce credit card disputes, transaction failure and rates of fraud, Shikha Jain, a partner at the commercial growth consulting firm Simon-Kucher, told USA TODAY. Rachel Barber, USA Today, 27 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

nudge

verb
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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