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.
This season, filmed mostly on the Thai island of Ko Samui, used the new setting to nudge its characters toward pursuits beyond the flesh. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025 Still, word of departure spreads fast, potentially nudging more Canadians to follow suit, DuPont says. Sami Sparber, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025 Even nudging up turnout by 10 percent would probably be enough to save the Republican. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025 Davis was then swatted on a drive to the rim and Toppin followed with a score in the paint to nudge Texas Tech ahead 81-78 with 1:41 left. Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudge. Accessed 18 Apr. 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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