Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Management noted at the time that tariff hikes had spurred large retailers to cut back on their advertising spend, which in turn hurt Pinterest’s top line.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
Within hours, thousands had spurred into protest, especially young women.
From BBC ● May 31, 2025
Mohammad Mahmoud, the lawyer hired by Salaymah, said that although the war had spurred Israel’s judiciary to issue harsher sentences, there was still a chance Ayham could avoid prison because of his young age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
After ticking off some of the job creation and investments Mr. Biden said will come through the legislation, he said he was proud that it had spurred the economy in Colorado.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
The horrors of Nazi eugenics inspired a cautionary tale, prompting a global reexamination of the ambitions that had spurred the effort.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
