nudged; nudging
1
: to touch or push gently
… nudged the cue ball with the tip of the cue.—
Paul Theroux
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
J. K. Rowling 2
: to prod lightly : urge into action
… have been nudged into starting their own ventures …—Janet Bamford
Janet Bamford3
: approach
its circulation is nudging the four million mark—Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
: 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
While others said a cooling-off of wage increases detailed in the report would nudge the Fed toward a rate cut, because the pay slowdown eases the risk of price hikes made in an effort to offset rising labor costs.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Legal experts have expressed concern that if Judge Cannon crafts instructions for the jury based on Mr. Trump’s interpretation of the Presidential Records Act, it could be seen as an attempt to nudge eventual jurors toward an acquittal.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
But experts say the difference between quitting and not quitting often comes down to having a person, group, app or other outside force that nudges you to keep going.
—Danielle Friedman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
Just like the Great Depression ushered in decades of frugality and austerity — with an entire generation reusing plastic bags, jam jars and aluminum foil — there are signs the coronavirus crisis has had the opposite effect: nudging Americans toward spending more, especially on experiences.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Oregon passed a new bill, nudging California to lead the West Coast in ending Daylight Saving Time.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024
Since 1984, when the Fed slashed interest rates to nudge them back to normal after a flurry of rate hikes, the S&P 500 index has climbed an average of 13.2% in the following 12 months, according to Detrick’s analysis.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Supply shortages, such as for sugar and cocoa, will force price increases for Oreos and Ritz, and grocery stores may want to nudge customers towards their own cheaper private brands by keeping name brand costs higher.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
The debate has been bubbling for months, as countries nearest to Russia – such as Poland and the former Soviet Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – have tried to nudge other European leaders toward the more assertive Option 2.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024
Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Legal experts have expressed concern that if Judge Cannon crafts instructions for the jury based on Mr. Trump’s interpretation of the Presidential Records Act, it could be seen as an attempt to nudge eventual jurors toward an acquittal.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
But experts say the difference between quitting and not quitting often comes down to having a person, group, app or other outside force that nudges you to keep going.
—Danielle Friedman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
Just like the Great Depression ushered in decades of frugality and austerity — with an entire generation reusing plastic bags, jam jars and aluminum foil — there are signs the coronavirus crisis has had the opposite effect: nudging Americans toward spending more, especially on experiences.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Oregon passed a new bill, nudging California to lead the West Coast in ending Daylight Saving Time.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024
Since 1984, when the Fed slashed interest rates to nudge them back to normal after a flurry of rate hikes, the S&P 500 index has climbed an average of 13.2% in the following 12 months, according to Detrick’s analysis.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Supply shortages, such as for sugar and cocoa, will force price increases for Oreos and Ritz, and grocery stores may want to nudge customers towards their own cheaper private brands by keeping name brand costs higher.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
The debate has been bubbling for months, as countries nearest to Russia – such as Poland and the former Soviet Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – have tried to nudge other European leaders toward the more assertive Option 2.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near nudge
Cite this Entry
“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nudge
verb
nudged; nudging
: to touch or push gently
especially
: to attract the attention of by a push of the elbow
nudge
noun
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