urge 1 of 2

verb

ˈərj How to pronounce urge (audio)
Definition of urgenext
as in to encourage
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action the public service announcement urges pet owners to spay or neuter their pets

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

urge

2 of 2

noun

as in desire
a strong wish for something I'm trying to resist the urge to eat another piece of cake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 urge
Verb
What Happens Next State officials are urging people to connect to Bennington's public water supply if their wells are contaminated by PFAS. — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 Google placed banners on its Brazilian homepage urging users to reject the legislation, while Meta ran advertisements questioning its implications for the digital economy. — Camille Grenier, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
What sends off sparks is the struggle of a person's urge to express something against the limits of form and medium. — Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025 Often, the urge to control how things unfold leads to frustration, impulsive decisions and unnecessary stress. — Mark Travers, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for urge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for urge
  1. encourage
  2. desire
  3. craving
  4. longing
  5. thirst
  6. hunger
Verb
  • On April 5, disenfranchised Americans are being encouraged to protest the Trump administration's policies as part of a national movement in myriad cities, hosted by a group of older Americans called Third Act.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The president also encouraged Republicans to vote early.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of encourage
Noun
  • The desire just to make the playoffs actually delayed a long overdue rebuild.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Pacifica’s Miramar Landing purchase suggests a desire to bring to fruition, in part, San Diego’s vision for a walkable neighborhood in an area the new community plan refers to as the Miramar Gateway.
    — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of desire
Noun
  • Your body may also use carbs more efficiently earlier in the day—which can help reduce cravings and promote better weight control.
    — Lauren O'Connor, MS, Health, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Medications that reduce opioid cravings, including buprenorphine and methadone, are more widely available, in part because of insurance coverage provided by Medicaid.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of craving
Noun
  • Their brows are furrowed, their mouths are pouty, their faces are twisted into ever-more over-the-top expressions of longing and ambivalence.
    — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2025
  • But looking back, many feel a longing for the God of War of old.
    — Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of longing
Noun
  • Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users NYT Mini Today: Hints, Clues And Answers For Wednesday, April 2 Cory Booker Breaks Record With 25-Hour Speech Blasting Trump Use it for: Mixing with bold spirits, quenching your thirst, or cutting juices for a lighter spritz.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • His argument—baseless at the time—was that chewing gum had miraculous abilities to quench thirst, stave off hunger, and dissipate nervous tension.
    — Hannah Seo, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of thirst
Noun
  • In recent research on child poverty, economists have shown that nutrition assistance programs not only reduce hunger, addressing humanitarian concerns, but also improve children’s long-term health and economic self-sufficiency, addressing fiscal concerns.
    — Andrew V. Papachristos, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There’s a great hunger on the part of many American conservatives, including conservative Christians, for disruption.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of hunger

Browse Nearby Words

urchins
urge
urged
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Cite this Entry

“Urge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urge. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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