To Urge
To Encourage, To Prompt, To Promote
transitive verb, godan verb
Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means urge so the verb vocab version is to urge.
促す means to encourage or to prompt someone to take action or proceed with something. Depending on the context, it can also mean to promote the growth, development, or change of something.
Someone with a weird accent is trying to urge you to eat "Unagah" (うなが). This person really means "unagi," and this person also doesn't realize how delicious unagi is (and thinks he's tricking you). You ask him what "Unagah" is. Go ahead and say it out loud.
先生は生徒にもっと質問をするよう促した。
The teacher encouraged the students to ask more questions.
そのニュースが人々に行動を促すきっかけとなったようです。
It seems that the news prompted people to take action.
医者は禁煙を促されたが、なかなか実行に移せなかった。
The doctor urged me to quit smoking, but I struggled to follow through.
このキャンペーンは、環境に優しい行動を促すことを目的としています。
This campaign aims to promote eco-friendly actions.