as in incentive
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to lure
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bribe
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Frank Carone agreed to accept bribes from Zhu and Chen, funneled through Anthony Carone, in exchange for steering a multimillion-dollar contract to house migrants at their Long Island City hotel, the indictment alleges.
—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
The indictment maintains that, as part of a criminal enterprise, Jones and Dowling carried out a large-scale covert scheme between 2010 and 2021 to bribe state officials and to illegally advance FirstEnergy's financial interests alongside their own.
—
CBS News,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Noun
Abdikerm Eidleh Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks after instructing restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement.
—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Frank Carone agreed to accept bribes from Zhu and Chen, funneled through Anthony Carone, in exchange for steering a multimillion-dollar contract to house migrants at their Long Island City hotel, the indictment alleges.
—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Verb
Andrew openly discussed bribing law-enforcement officials in War Room chats, and bragged on social media about his connections.
—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
The indictment maintains that, as part of a criminal enterprise, Jones and Dowling carried out a large-scale covert scheme between 2010 and 2021 to bribe state officials and to illegally advance FirstEnergy's financial interests alongside their own.
—
CBS News,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribe
Noun
-
Nearly a year after the expiration of a $7,500 federal tax incentive for new electric vehicles, California is stepping in to try to motivate buyers to go electric.
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The attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Verb
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Next, the instructor tries luring the child back into the pool with a sparkly pink rubber duck, which does the trick.
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If the Lakers had only presented an offer sheet to the Jazz to lure Kessler away instead of working on a trade, Utah would have had until July 7 to match the offer.
Noun
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Taking so many positions means the president can’t be fully wrong while letting the public fix on different, albeit often conflicting, statements that can reinforce their own beliefs.
-
This is not exclusively a Ronaldo issue, and simply swapping him out for Goncalo Ramos would be an overly simplistic fix.
Verb
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For the superstar whose private jet is tracked, whose every appearance is documented and whose movements become global headlines within minutes, an arena transformed into a private world may be the closest thing to privacy that money can buy.
-
Douek swooped in to buy the iconic sign, with the proceeds going to World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit that provides food relief.
Noun
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But if productivity growth is low, then stimulus just turns into inflation—too many dollars chasing too few goods.
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By integrating smart shades into the components of major smart home ecosystems (those supporting Matter, Thread, Zigbee, or Z-Wave specifically), these systems can react to real-time stimuli.
Verb
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That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.
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The writer thinks that the person seducing the main character is just some flotsam, hardly worth a second look.
Noun
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Teams Like Norway Are Trying Re-Create Home Conditions Of course, good nutrition isn’t the only motivation behind what Norway and other teams may be doing.
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For years, Governor Ron DeSantis has fought the College Board, the group that administers the AP test, over how its standardized tests portray many things, including race and gender but also the motivations of the Founding Fathers.
Verb
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Some supplements and chews are offered in different flavors to better entice your dog.
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That subscription data, entertainment, and safety service offers complementary base services, but owners are enticed to upgrade for premium services.
Cite this Entry
“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribe. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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