1
as in lure
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
cheese is the traditional bait for trapping mice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temptation
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
the promise of free vacation is surefire bait to get people to agree to be chaperones for school trips
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
I wished the candidates would stop baiting each other and instead address the real issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
the investment scheme cunningly baits the greedy and the unscrupulous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bait
Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025
Nathan also had reportedly left a bucket of fishing bait in his car.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
This Is Psychological Warfare Romance baiting — once known as pig butchering — is a cybercrime built on social engineering.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Noun
At about that time, Esslinger’s monster catch took the bait, and the fight was on.
—Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025
Nathan also had reportedly left a bucket of fishing bait in his car.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
Lake County staff will be on-site to assist with baiting hooks, removing fish, species identification, and other environmental and educational components.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
This Is Psychological Warfare Romance baiting — once known as pig butchering — is a cybercrime built on social engineering.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait
Noun
-
With the possible lure of financial riches in Saudi Arabia or the chance to return home to Portugal after eight years away, Wolves have their work cut out to retain their captain.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
All of which means the lure around the encrypted email link can be fully personalized.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Resist the temptation to crowd too many vegetable plants into each container; often, only one per pot is best.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But resisting the temptation to share on social media can be hard, especially when your day is filled with cool experiences.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Trump has a long history of taunting Swift, who used her platform to endorse Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024 after expressing regret about not endorsing a candidate in the 2016 presidential election.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2025
-
News to Know Guardians apologize to Duran The Cleveland Guardians issued an apology to Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran after a fan taunted Duran yesterday.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
If that’s not enough to tempt you, the set also comes with an insulated wine bag, an insulated cooler (which fits nicely in the basket), two food containers, and a fleece blanket.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2025
-
You may be tempted to cry into your beer over all of the recent problems with the economy and the rising prices of … well, everything.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the Knicks can’t fall for the trap, and Brunson, who finished with 34 points on 12-of-27 shooting from the field to go with eight assists on the night, had a frustrating start to his evening.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Europe is wary of sleepwalking back into the trap of reliance on Russian energy resources that caused an energy crisis at the outset of the 2022 invasion and mounting speculation that Europe might reopen its taps has sparked pushback from key European voices.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In the trailer for Buzz, which Deadline can exclusively share, Lithgow teases what listeners can expect.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Despite the riveting plot, the author teases to PEOPLE that her main character is going to be the aspect of the novel that readers aren’t likely to forget.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After turning undead and hiding her bite wound, Mary easily gets permission to re-enter the building, and quickly seduces Stack, before murdering him and infecting him with the vampire curse.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But the next pope may be seduced by that glitter again.—
Howard Chua-Eoan,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The competitor to grab the tag-team titles dangling on the hook over the ring would be declared the winner.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Write a good hook, gather people around wanting to hear a story, deliver that story, and channel people through to the right place.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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