as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
a con man whose dupes are usually led on by their own greed and eagerness to turn an easy buck
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lead on
Verb
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The fifteen-cent cover price tempted almost no one.—
David Remnick,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025 -
Why the Chiefs will win … I was tempted to write only the name of the Chiefs’ quarterback as my explanation.—
Jon Greenberg,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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John Graves Simcoe, the inaugural lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, intended to create a model colony, one that would lure Americans back to British rule.—
Lawrence B.A. Hatter / Made by History,
TIME,
4 Feb. 2025
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The panels, tributes, and special screenings lure not only local cinephiles but the area’s few hundred Academy members eager to hear Oscar contenders talk about their creative process.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the costume drama based on Guy de Maupassant’s 1885 novel of the same name, Pattinson portrayed an ambitious and amoral social striver, a former soldier who seeks to improve his fortunes by seducing the wives (played by Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas) of powerful men.—
Kevin Cassidy,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
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His evolution from a homeless teen seducing girls on his friends’ couches into an international pop star with one foot in Hollywood and the other atop the Billboard charts has been a circuitous one filled with pitfalls — and some of the catchiest tunes of the century.—
Matthew Ismael Ruiz,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Due to those risks, local officials were able to persuade corps officials to reduce the amount of water initially planned for release.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2025
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Cotton leaned hard on the White House to persuade, not pressure, arguing that an overly combative approach could be counterproductive for people like Young.—
Stef W. Kight,
Axios,
4 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Builders have been slashing prices and offering incentives to entice buyers.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
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The value proposition for players in a single-player game is a lot fuzzier, though; that's why Sony is adding some candy with these in-game unlockables to try to entice players to create accounts and sign in.—
Samuel Axon,
Ars Technica,
29 Jan. 2025
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Thesaurus Entries Near lead on
Cite this Entry
“Lead on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lead%20on. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.
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