PROD Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

prod 1 of 2

verb

ˈpräd

Definition of prod

as in to poke

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

as in to urge

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

prod

2 of 2

noun

as in stimulus

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

subduing

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 prod

Verb

But the forces prodding Shin to boost rates are increasingly affecting Fed policy decisions. — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026 But for all of his music guaranteed to prod a melancholic moment, Taylor didn’t snub the buoyant offerings from his heady catalog. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

Michelle Montez, a flight attendant for 20 years, said barely a flight goes by where someone doesn’t poke, tap, prod or otherwise touch her. — Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 28 May 2026 The cutbacks are going far beyond a friendly prod to boost NATO defense spending. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for prod

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prod

Verb

Ask it to poke holes and give you the strongest case against something.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of poke

Verb

Two strategists close to Acton’s campaign, granted anonymity to discuss its internalassessment, urged caution about the more optimistic assessment of where the contest now stands.

— Teo Armus, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Trump has also told Kyiv to stop attacking Russian refineries and urged Ukrainians to replace Zelenskyy.

— Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of urge

Noun

China’s economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter thanks to the country’s powerful export machine, with domestic consumption still lagging and the authorities showing little interest in fiscal stimulus.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Visual stimuli produced more activity in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulus

Verb

El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warmer waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that spur changes in the atmosphere that can affect weather around the world.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Throughout October thousands joined the cause in Delhi and other Indian cities, their marches spurred by anger directed against an ongoing national exercise to overhaul the country’s electoral register.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of spur

Noun

The Holistic Touch treatment uses Ayurvedic techniques to rebalance the body’s energy, including healing poultices and marma-point stimulation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Tom describes himself as uniquely susceptible to this kind of stimulation, something that Kenny, the Mount Sinai neuroscientist, says may have some credence.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulation

Verb

For Crystal, this occurred at the end of 2025, his annus horribilis, when Reiner and wife Michelle were found stabbed to death at their Brentwood home.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The teen accused of fatally stabbing a homeless Roseville woman faced a judge and the woman’s family Tuesday during his first court appearance in the slaying.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of stab

Verb

Vance has neither criticized his friend nor publicly nudged Carlson to temper what’s been harsh criticism of Israel — and Trump’s cultivation of the Netanyahu government.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Asteroids could also be nudged into more stable orbits, allowing more extensive future missions.

— Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of nudge

Browse Nearby Words

procuring

prod

prodded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Prod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prod. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of prod

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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