urged; urging
1
: to present, advocate, or demand earnestly or pressingly
his conviction was upheld on a theory never urged at his … trial—
Leon Friedman
Leon Friedman2
: to undertake the accomplishment of with energy, swiftness, or enthusiasm
urge the attack
3
4
: to force or impel in an indicated direction or into motion or greater speed
the dog urged the sheep toward the gate
: to declare, advance, or press earnestly a statement, argument, charge, or claim
urged for the adoption of the proposal
urger
noun
1
: the act or process of urging
2
: a force or impulse that urges
especially
: a continuing impulse toward an activity or goal
Synonyms
Examples of urge in a Sentence
Verb
He is continually urging reform.
The rescuers urged that we remain calm.
an editorial urging readers to vote
I urge you to reconsider.
A hand on her back urged her forward.
Noun
the urge for something sweet
He fought the urge to cry.
Recent Examples on the WebSammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans not to give President Joe Biden a legislative victory ahead of the elections, and many Republicans, including Kari Lake, the GOP front-runner in the race for Sinema’s seat, followed his cue.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
Scarbrough urges anyone with information to share it.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
The National Parents Union, an advocacy group for parents, urged lawmakers at an April 10 rally to move the legislation forward.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, reactions to Iran’s strikes have poured in from world leaders, some openly condemning Tehran, others calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and almost all urging restraint during a moment of huge tension in the Middle East.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
If enforcing state law, and protecting vulnerable people from horrid exploitation in real time, seems important, Umberg urges you to contact your legislators and urge them to support the bill.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 14 Apr. 2024
Watson, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel.
—Josef Federman and Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
His TikTok account is now inactive, but his messages urging fellow migrants to take over homes continue circulating online.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2024
But catching offenders in the act is difficult, and in a city notorious for its aggressive driving culture and heavy traffic, squashing the urge to honk is an uphill battle.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
While at the state hospital, SVPs can take part in treatment programs aimed at curbing their criminal urges.
—Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
That's when the urge came, and the urge was just very, very, very, strong.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The urge to travel with as few belongings as possible may not speak to everyone, but those that subscribe to a minimalist view of packing will benefit from having a compact underseat carry-on in their arsenal to make their next plane ride a breeze.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024
His was an enduring love, even as revelations about her disorder, including urges to break into houses, multiplied.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Resist the urge to wander through the rows for that perfect shot, so your shoes don’t introduce harmful pests.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
My urge to scroll through videos of the attack ebbed.
—Ayelet Waldman, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
That’s an uncomfortable reality for West Coasters critical of red-state environmental policies but not in the habit of urging their politicians to work across state lines to change them — especially when doing so might involve compromise with Republicans.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans not to give President Joe Biden a legislative victory ahead of the elections, and many Republicans, including Kari Lake, the GOP front-runner in the race for Sinema’s seat, followed his cue.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
Scarbrough urges anyone with information to share it.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
The National Parents Union, an advocacy group for parents, urged lawmakers at an April 10 rally to move the legislation forward.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, reactions to Iran’s strikes have poured in from world leaders, some openly condemning Tehran, others calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and almost all urging restraint during a moment of huge tension in the Middle East.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
If enforcing state law, and protecting vulnerable people from horrid exploitation in real time, seems important, Umberg urges you to contact your legislators and urge them to support the bill.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 14 Apr. 2024
Watson, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel.
—Josef Federman and Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
His TikTok account is now inactive, but his messages urging fellow migrants to take over homes continue circulating online.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
But if the physical nature of this galaxy has changed, the physics of it, the forces that drive it—the urgency, the urges—are constants, no less than gravity and light.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2024
But catching offenders in the act is difficult, and in a city notorious for its aggressive driving culture and heavy traffic, squashing the urge to honk is an uphill battle.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
While at the state hospital, SVPs can take part in treatment programs aimed at curbing their criminal urges.
—Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
That's when the urge came, and the urge was just very, very, very, strong.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The urge to travel with as few belongings as possible may not speak to everyone, but those that subscribe to a minimalist view of packing will benefit from having a compact underseat carry-on in their arsenal to make their next plane ride a breeze.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024
His was an enduring love, even as revelations about her disorder, including urges to break into houses, multiplied.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Resist the urge to wander through the rows for that perfect shot, so your shoes don’t introduce harmful pests.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
My urge to scroll through videos of the attack ebbed.
—Ayelet Waldman, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'urge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near urge
Cite this Entry
“Urge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urge. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urge
1 of 2 verb
urged; urging
1
: to ask for or support earnestly
continually urging reform
2
: to try to persuade
urge a guest to stay longer
3
: to force or drive to some course or activity (as greater speed)
riders urging their horses on
urge
2 of 2 noun1
: the act or process of urging
2
: a strong desire especially to achieve a goal
the urge to win
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