prodded; prodding
2
: to poke or stir as if with a prod
: to urge someone on
prodder
noun
1
: a pointed instrument used to prod
2
: an incitement to act
needed a few prods to remember her lines
chiefly Ireland, often disparaging + offensive
Synonyms
Examples of prod in a Sentence
Verb
She prodded him in the ribs to get his attention.
She was prodded into joining the team.
Noun (1)
She gave him a sharp prod in the back.
He picked up a stick and used it as a prod to get the donkey moving.
He needed a few prods to remember his lines.
She called me and gave me a prod about finishing the report.
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2024
This season, Levy prodded Joan Collins to point him to the seedy side of St. Tropez, skeptically made disturbing moose calls in rural Sweden and schmendrickally received penalty-kick pointers from La Liga star Héctor Bellerín in Seville.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2024
Simone McCarthy, CNN, 22 July 2024
The Adams administration’s policy is intended to free up space in the shelter system and prod migrants to move on from the city’s care.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prod 
Verb
It was built in 1971 without sprinklers, and the owner has been unwilling to retrofit it despite prodding by the fire marshal’s office.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2024
This season, Levy prodded Joan Collins to point him to the seedy side of St. Tropez, skeptically made disturbing moose calls in rural Sweden and schmendrickally received penalty-kick pointers from La Liga star Héctor Bellerín in Seville.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2024
Noun
In sweltering Henan province, many scrambled to irrigate parched crops during what is usually a key growing period, while authorities ordered water use to be limited and for clouds to be artificially seeded in an effort to prod rain clouds, state media reports said.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 22 July 2024
The Adams administration’s policy is intended to free up space in the shelter system and prod migrants to move on from the city’s care.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prod
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prod.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prod
Cite this Entry
“Prod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prod. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prod
1 of 2 verb
prodded; prodding
1
: to poke with something
2
: to stir a person or animal to action
kept prodding me to reveal the secret
prodder
noun
prod
2 of 2 noun1
: something used for prodding
2
: an act of prodding : a sharp urging or reminder
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