Strongly encourages (5)

I believe the answer is:

urges

(Other definitions for urges that I've seen before include "Advocates strongly" , "Exhorts or prods" , "Strong impulses" , "Inner promptings" , "Encourages" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.