as in stabbing
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object
gently spurred the horse with his heels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of spurring
Late last year, the leader of Tesla and the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, secured a $1 trillion pay package at his EV company, spurring criticism of the growing wealth divide between the world’s wealthiest and poorest workers.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Across the region, heavy-handed American tactics will risk spurring backlash and unintended consequences.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Dave Marston is the publisher of Writers on the Range, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West.
—Dave Marston, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Paramount did not compensate or credit the Yonays, spurring a lawsuit filed in the Central District of California.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Dozens of businesses and states have called his authority into question, spurring conversations about executive versus congressional powers and the deteriorating state of federal checks and balances.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 26 Dec. 2025
The event was met with blue skies, spurring her followers, like Begley, to rush to her witch’s storefront to buy their own spells.
—Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
For Native people, the war marked a dangerous fork in the road, stirring famine, spurring a massive refugee crisis, and permanently shifting the balance of power in the heart of the continent.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The facility is spurring an explosion of growth and development meant to serve businesses and workers at the new plant, all in the area of Phoenix that relies on the Colorado River.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurring
Verb
-
Later that month, another jury said Rafael Andres should be sent back to Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker cord in 2005.—
-
Cincinnati crime fell under the microscope after the viral brawl in July and the stabbing death of an Over-the-Rhine resident and business owner in his own home.—
Verb
-
Tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared.—
-
There are also dual Akrapvoic exhausts poking out the rear, framed by slim taillights.—
Verb
-
Agents made several arrests in supermarket parking lots and tamale stands while goading angry residents who confronted them and threatening to unleash tear gas.—
-
The mind thrills to imagine a genderless prophet among the brocades and buckskin breeches of Revolutionary America, weirding out the normies, sticking a flower in the barrel of a musket, and goading the new nation to let its hair down—literally.—
Verb
-
The irascible Cox has spent years prodding Day-Lewis in interviews over his acting techniques, largely as a way of explaining his irritation with Succession co-star (and Day-Lewis’s fellow Method actor) Jeremy Strong.—
-
As Denji grapples with his growing feelings for her despite his loyalty to Makima, Reze begins prodding him to consider his place in Public Safety, and whether a teenager should really be put in the position of risking his life for the bare minimum of food and shelter.—
Verb
-
This Heat lineup opened Saturday’s game by digging itself in a 17-9 hole before Spoelstra made his first substitution of the night.—
-
Driven by the childhood memory of a murder near her home, McNamara spent years as an armchair sleuth, digging through records to try and solve cold cases, especially that of the Golden State Killer.—
Verb
-
The University of Miami defeated Ole Miss, 31-27, in a Fiesta Bowl semifinal thriller, punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.—
-
That footage showed Jones elbowing, stomping and punching the boy, and prompted the police investigation.—
Verb
-
With charming Venus in your subtle 12th house nudging lucky Jupiter in your dutiful 6th house, your time will be best spent in quiet, practical actions.—
-
With food inflation nudging menu prices higher, and GLP-1s transforming eating habits, a pizzeria’s true takeout rival may no longer be the other Tony’s across the street, but rather the nutrient-rich bowl slop from Uber Eats.—
Verb
-
The right words can open doors the heart’s been knocking on for a while.—
-
Once the buzz starts, fringe brands come knocking.—
Cite this Entry
“Spurring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurring. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share