as in bribe
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to soak
to wet thoroughly with liquid
sopped the sponge with the detergent and began scrubbing the floor vigorously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wet
to make wet
my book fell in the swimming pool and was thoroughly sopped before I could fish it out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dip
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid
hesitant to sop his bread in gravy, no matter how delicious, at such a formal banquet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sop
Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The second act begins to drag with slapdash vaudeville showcases that seem like sops to the performers.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Alana Semuels/waitsfield, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
The sheet that had been covering me was sopping wet and smelled strangely of my body, tin cans, and cayenne pepper.
—Gil Cuadros, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for sop
Noun
The main one is Lizzie, a young journalist stuck on the wedding beat at the local paper, with obits thrown in as a sop to her demand for equality.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The second act begins to drag with slapdash vaudeville showcases that seem like sops to the performers.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
Carpenter tosses a green bag of sopping compost into a bin, then bends over to pick up a black plastic bag filled with trash.
—Alana Semuels/waitsfield, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
The sheet that had been covering me was sopping wet and smelled strangely of my body, tin cans, and cayenne pepper.
—Gil Cuadros, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for sop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sop
Noun
-
Andrew Do, the former Orange County supervisor who took more than $550,000 in bribes over COVID-relief money meant to buy meals for needy, elderly constituents, was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison.—
Christopher Goffard,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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These include: Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, who was convicted of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing individuals as auxiliary deputies.—
Peter Aitken
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Cooking time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus overnight bean soak.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
-
For stubborn stains, soak the linen in cool or lukewarm water with a small amount of oxygen bleach for up to a few hours.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
His mother wet a sponge to moisten his lips and tongue.—
Stephanie Armour,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2025
-
The president’s health has been the subject of speculation for years; in 2023, six journalists were arrested after they were accused of sharing a video that appeared to show the president wetting himself.—
Abdi Latif Dahir,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
Thus, for the second game in a row, the Red Sox were forced to dip into their bullpen almost immediately; before Thursday’s off-day, Lucas Giolito had lasted just 1.2 innings at Fenway.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2025
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Both are delicious and perfectly tailored for cooking or mixing with some balsamic to dip some bread.—
Will Porter,
Architectural Digest,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Multiple adults, including the mother, were monitoring the group of children swimming when the boy drowned, deputies said.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2025
-
Three kayakers, including Boswell High School senior Luke Nickens, drowned in North Texas lakes in March.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Consumers should also wash and disinfect any surfaces that came in contact with the eggs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2025
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The hilltop compound is perhaps most famous for its car museum, a nearly 24,000-square-foot showstopper built to house Lyon’s epic personal collection, with room for 70 vehicles (none included with the sale, unfortunately), as well as an auto shop and wash and gas stations.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
6 June 2025
Verb
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One day, though, Bella plans to fully immerse him in the world of pro wrestling — especially women’s wrestling.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
12 June 2025
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These teens were sometimes gasping and talking to the screen, laughing at points, fully immersed, fully relating, even feeling nostalgic for TikTok trends that were popping three years ago.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
Verb
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For large campuses, redundant programing is often needed, and there may be times in which saturating a campus with an outreach initiative is warranted.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Price’s staff alleged the blaze sent a toxic plume saturated with lead and other dangerous chemicals drifting over the East Bay, before the company’s staff allegedly tried covering it up.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sop. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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