A nudge moves a single reel one position, normally downwards, after a spin. Fruit machines award nudges at random or through features, and you choose which reel to nudge to try to bring a winning symbol onto the line.
Nudges are a defining part of the British fruit machine. They add decisions to play, and using them well does make a difference within a game. They do not change the machine's overall return, which is set by its design: the machine controls how often nudges are offered and how useful they are.
Online versions appear in fruit-machine-style slots, and some video slots use nudging wilds or reels as a feature. See our nudges and holds feature page.