as in incentives
something that arouses action or activity the threat of skin cancer—not to mention the prospect of wrinkles—should be sufficient goad for using sunscreen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in urges
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 goads
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 The protagonist then goads him into drinking enough to agree to spending the afternoon at her lake house. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 5 Mar. 2026 Using her charm offensive, Hedda goads naive spouses to cheat, recovering alcoholics to drink and depressives to wander off into the darkness with a revolver. —Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025 Dawn goads Joe about Ted, suggesting that Joe’s late father, who was also sheriff, would have taken action. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025 Reynolds goads Miller by sending a photo of himself getting cozy with Sophia, and in a moment both lurid and laughable, the prisoner visualizes the two of them getting naked and going at it right outside the cell. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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
Verb
When the two wind up at a random Easter brunch, Winfried goads Ines into karaoke. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 The protagonist then goads him into drinking enough to agree to spending the afternoon at her lake house. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 5 Mar. 2026 Using her charm offensive, Hedda goads naive spouses to cheat, recovering alcoholics to drink and depressives to wander off into the darkness with a revolver. —Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025 Dawn goads Joe about Ted, suggesting that Joe’s late father, who was also sheriff, would have taken action. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025 Reynolds goads Miller by sending a photo of himself getting cozy with Sophia, and in a moment both lurid and laughable, the prisoner visualizes the two of them getting naked and going at it right outside the cell. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goads
Noun
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The Good Jobs First report recommends that all states fully report their losses from data center tax breaks, including how those incentives affect local revenue streams.— Kevin Hardy, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2026
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While the sales increases in some cases were aided by tax incentives and new emissions rules, the figures point to how global fleets are rapidly electrifying in response to the war in Iran.— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cher’s filing urges the court to appoint a temporary conservator to take control of Allman’s trust, his sole source of income.— Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
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The resolution urges the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) to plan and complete several environmental and water system studies before committing to serve data centers or large computing facilities.— CBS News, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.— Therie Hendrey-Seabrook, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
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But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.— Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.— Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
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In October 2024 ahead of her own stay at MSG, Billie Eilish recorded encouragements to take the subways for environmental benefits.— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To manage that reality, Manning encourages newer teachers to establish boundaries early and stick to them.— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
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Not all that long ago, Fox and Telemundo likely would have blanched at an ad that encourages sports fans to get up from their sofas.— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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South Korea’s import prices posted their biggest surge in nearly three decades, underscoring the scale of cost pressures rippling through the economy as the Iran war spurs a spike in oil and weighs on the won.— Heesu Lee, Bloomberg, 15 Apr. 2026
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Finally, royal jelly—yet another one of nature’s anti-aging heroes—spurs the production of collagen, thus restoring a youthful bounce to aging skin.— Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The clip also pokes fun at Roach's retirement announcement in 2023, only to return to the industry two years later.— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
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Your 6th House of Health takes focus with the nurturing Moon there, though Luna also pokes expensive Jupiter in your 3rd House of Distractions.— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Swapping numbers can result from different motivations, Mann explained.— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
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In a cast populated by characters with shifting motivations, Eunice mostly comes off as a plot device that features more or less prominently depending on what’s going on with everyone else.— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/goads. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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