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.
As Axios's Sami Sparber reported Tuesday, the country's biggest office leases actually got a bit bigger last year, as companies start nudging back toward in-person work. Emily Peck, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025 Secretary of Defense narrowly secured his nomination to President 's cabinet, nudged into the role by the tiebreaking vote of Vice President after a handful of moved against the former host and veteran. Shane Croucher, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025 The incident happened shortly before 7 a.m. In the video, a deputy with a shovel and a man with a pool cleaning pole nudge the croc toward the back entrance of the fence and into a nearby canal. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025 The Supreme Court in the Google v. Oracle case nudged fair-use law very strongly in the direction of being resolved on summary judgment, not in front of a jury. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 23 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near nudge

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 19 Feb. 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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