goaded

verb

past tense of goad
1
as in urged
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action tried to goad me into auditioning for the play

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spurred
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object goading the horse forward into the stall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 goaded Anthony provoked and goaded Metcalf, Wirskye said. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2026 In the ensuing chaos, one of those two young men takes the stage, goaded on by his friend, and soon has the audience dancing to his melodies and words. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 May 2026 He was mocked and goaded by Callum Newman into attacking Shingo Takagi after Newman retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026 The czar, goaded by his military advisors, mobilized the Russian army knowing that meant war. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026 Trump, though never restrained, is now pure id, acting on impulse and goaded on by advisers who see an opportunity to further expand executive power. — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026 Her ups and downs were a regular punch line on late-night talk shows, starting with her first appearance on The Tonight Show in 1985, when she was goaded into agreeing to lose 15 lbs. — Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025 Democrats saw him as a master of dark arts, beholden to his former pals in the oil industry and a warmonger who goaded the nation to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to help his benefactors. — Philip Elliott, Time, 20 Nov. 2025 In one instance, Holmes alleged, Lorch goaded Holmes into a storage room and told him to climb a ladder to a lofted space to retrieve some uniforms. — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goaded
  1. urged
  2. spurred
  3. encouraged
  4. stabbed
  5. nudged
  6. prodded
  7. poked
  8. punched
Verb
  • Anyone who knows more about the crash, or who has information on the vehicle police seized, was urged to contact Menifee PD at 951-723-1500.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In the filing, the Justice Department urged the appeals court to reverse the Tennessee federal judge’s ruling dismissing criminal charges against Abrego Garcia.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of urged
Verb
  • His grandson's election as vice president of the United States spurred pride in the Midwestern city, though Vance has faced some pushback to his portrayal of it in the book.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That’s spurred interest in whether TRT could hold benefits for older men.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of spurred
Verb
  • After Wednesday's hearing, Warren said he was encouraged by the judge's questions and hoped for a ruling before students return for the new semester.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The story reported that, wary of potential consequences for employment in California, Newsom had encouraged Bonta to find a solution out of court.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • His parents were fatally stabbed in their home in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood in December.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026
  • An Australian teen was stabbed repeatedly in an apparently largely unprovoked attack early Monday morning inside a McDonald's in New York City, police sources said.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of stabbed
Verb
  • Every lever that once nudged wealth toward charity has grown weaker.
    — Vandana Arcot, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, Governor Kazuo Ueda nudged rates to a 31‑year high of 1% in mid‑June.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of nudged
Verb
  • Trump publicly prodded the Health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And along with the documentary, you get prodded into recall again.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of prodded
Verb
  • In the 2024 playoffs, Carrington poked Fever phenom Caitlin Clark in the eye.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Offering a clever twist, the warm cake is poked with the handle of a wooden spoon, creating space for a vanilla-pineapple pudding to sink deep into the crumb.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • The student also punched the guard in the head, according to the statement.
    — Kathy McCormack, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The 49ers’ defensive highlight came when Warner, of course, punched a ball free from tight end David Njoku.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of punched

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Cite this Entry

“Goaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goaded. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of goaded for Spanish Speakers

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