prods 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of prod
1
as in stabs
to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object kept prodding the sheep with a staff to move along faster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in urges
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action a public outcry eventually prodded the politicians into action

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prods

2 of 2

noun

plural of prod
as in goads

Related 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 prods
Verb
But unless carefully designed, these groups are more often excuses for inaction than prods for durable solutions. — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 This kind of mutual caretaking, physical as well as emotional, prods larger conversations about the state of the world — particularly, Marie-Lou’s nursing home facing a perpetual funding crisis. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026 Kate says when Laurie prods her to speak her mind. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026 The two do some earnest bonding over being child actors and their mutual love of John Cassavettes and A Woman Under the Influence, but some of the most delightful bits between them occur when Lawrence prods him into laughter. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025 The film takes place over three years in Valbona, a suburban district of Barcelona, as Guerín prods at issues of displacement, identity, urban life, and ecological conflicts in this small neighborhood that serves as a microcosm of the world. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prods
  1. stabs
  2. urges
  3. goads
  4. pokes
  5. encourages
  6. stimuli
  7. spurs
  8. nudges
Verb
  • When Little Death stabs into their victim, there’s a geyser of blood, way more than could fit inside a human body.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In the heat of the moment, Voit’s daughter comes to his rescue and fatally stabs Crowley.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026
Definition of stabs
Verb
  • The health department urges anyone who was in the park that day to confirm their protection against the virus and monitor for symptoms.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Tyanna Snider, PhD, a contributor to The Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, urges parents to teach kids that their body belongs to them.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of urges
Noun
  • To Robin Wright’s multimillionaire gallery owner Laura, her son’s new girlfriend is a sleazy opportunist, a gold digger who lies about her academic and professional credentials and goads Laura by going down on Daniel (Laurie Davidson) in Laura’s house with the door open.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of goads
Verb
  • Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This is strong language, which pokes at our tribal memory of gasoline shortages from the 1970’s.
    — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of pokes
Verb
  • Forbes Travel Guide’s second annual Edge List encourages discovery beyond the well-trodden path.
    — Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • If parents need to contact their students, each district encourages them to reach out to the school’s office.
    — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of encourages
Noun
  • All the while the fMRI churned on, peering through the dogs’ skulls into the brain below and looking for the areas that lit up as a result of the visual stimuli.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
  • How 40 Hz Sound Therapy Works The treatment is called GENUS, short for gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of stimuli
Verb
  • Don’t Fertilize Fertilizer spurs grass to grow quickly and growth demands carbohydrates which are in short supply during a heat wave.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026
  • This combination captures people’s moral attention and spurs them to action.
    — Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of spurs
Verb
  • Instead of wiping firmware, an adversary nudges a setpoint, edits a protection parameter, distorts a sensor feed—or shows the operator a calm screen while the equipment tears itself apart.
    — Julian Durand, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Everything about Anna Maria Island nudges you toward taking a deep breath and surrendering to the calm of vacation.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 28 July 2026
Definition of nudges

Browse Nearby Words

prodigy
prods
produce
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Cite this Entry

“Prods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prods. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of prods for Spanish Speakers

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