egg on

Idioms  

1. Incite, urge ahead, provoke, as in Jack is always egging me on to drive faster, or Seemingly quiet, Margo actually eggs on Donald to quarrel with his staff. This expression has nothing to do with hen's eggs but comes from an Old Norse word, eggja, “to edge.” Both edge on and egg on were used interchangeably, but today the latter is preferred. [c. 1200]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

egg on

Enter my dummy-simple version: I start the rice cooker before taking my dog, Otto out, and when I return, I spoon a bit into a small bowl and slide a quick over-easy egg on top.

From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2026

Bardella was at an event in Moissac, southwest France, to promote his latest book when a man broke the egg on his head.

From Barron's ● Nov. 29, 2025

More cheese is then placed on top, and the whole sandwich is typically baked in the oven until the cheese melts and then served with an egg on top.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025

Executives at UnitedHealth Group had egg on their faces on Tuesday morning.

From Slate ● May 14, 2025

“I thought I heard mice in the kitchen. I’m afraid there will be white of egg on the boys’ pillows.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck