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. 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 Nooyi soon nudged her to take her career to the next level. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 May 2024 Hundreds of genetic variants can nudge someone’s risk of breast cancer up or down or towards a particular subtype. —Angus Chen, STAT, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for nudge 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nudge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near nudge

nude tan

nudge

nudi-

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

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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

Britannica English: Translation of nudge for Arabic Speakers

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