spur on

Idioms  

1. Goad or urge ahead, as in The thought of winning a Pulitzer Prize spurred the reporter on. This expression transfers using spurs to make a horse go faster to incentives of other kinds. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spur on

The Dodgers placed starting pitcher Clayton Kershawon the injured list Saturday, a night after he left a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning with a bone spur on his left big toe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2024

Going forward, the team hopes that its approach for assessing the vulnerability of multiple species can spur on additional conservation efforts.

From Science Daily ● May 17, 2024

He added that despite senators agreeing on the need to spur on bipartisan legislation to regulate platforms, the question of what happens next, and what exactly will come of this hearing, remains unclear.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2024

“It happens and you’re hoping that doesn’t spur on more, but James had a tough inning … and that made for a tougher inning,” Francona said.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 31, 2023

Iorek said, “Below the first spur on the track, there is a bush with resinous wood. Bring as much of that as you can.”

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman