1
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
that chocolate dessert sure tempts me, but I should stick with my diet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to risk
to take a chance on
refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tempt
Omega-3 fatty acids can be similarly tricky to get from food, as they’re primarily found in oily fish (like salmon and mackerel) and in smaller amounts in things like walnuts and flaxseeds—so you might be tempted to pop a fish oil capsule.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Apr. 2025
Weed Management in Walkways Just as cardboard can be used to smother out weeds to prepare soil for planting, it can also be used to suppress weeds that might be tempted to pop up in garden walkways.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
The team would likely be very tempted if the receiver is still available at No. 19, but there are far more pressing needs than another receiver.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Then others could use depth or might be tempted to draft a passer if the right circumstance presents itself.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempt
Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Apr. 2025
Weed Management in Walkways Just as cardboard can be used to smother out weeds to prepare soil for planting, it can also be used to suppress weeds that might be tempted to pop up in garden walkways.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
The team would likely be very tempted if the receiver is still available at No. 19, but there are far more pressing needs than another receiver.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Then others could use depth or might be tempted to draft a passer if the right circumstance presents itself.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempt
Verb
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Westchester County’s verdant enclaves have long lured the elite.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
16 Apr. 2025
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There’s no hook to lure viewers back for a potential Season 2, no revelation to gasp at, no big laugh to be had.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Read: Why the studios are risking everything This money talk should not matter to the audiences who show up for movies like Sinners.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2025
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As tech giants rush to build newer AI models, their web crawlers vacuum up creative content, and those same models spew floods of synthetic media, risking drowning out the human creative spark in an ocean of pablum.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The musical’s first act opens with the Moulin Rouge on the verge of closing, unless Satine can seduce a wealthy duke into becoming its patron — but for the moment, these financial woes are hidden behind the club’s glamorous veneer.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
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Sherri Parlay, a good woman with a high libido, is seduced into murder by the beguiling heir to a dry-cleaning fortune.—
Sara Gran,
New York Times,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jay Joyner, defensive end The Athletic, 5th round; PFF: 6th round, NFL.com: 5.97 (average backup or special teamer); RAS, 6.88 At 6-4, 262 pounds and with above-average testing, the Connecticut product will entice teams as an edge rusher.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
21 Apr. 2025
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Related article Marijuana ads are enticing kids to try weed, study says The potency of weed has skyrocketed over the years, which can heighten health risks and is leading to a global rise in marijuana addiction as well as cannabis use disorder, according to a 2022 study.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Another factor that might hamper Chelsea’s attempts to persuade Rak-Sakyi to stay is what has happened to his brother, Jesurun.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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The administration is expected to return to the Supreme Court quickly in an effort to persuade the justices to lift their temporary order.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But in his first public comments on President Donald Trump’s tariff war, Chinese leader Xi Jinping did not betray any concern.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
Christian Science Monitor,
15 Apr. 2025
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Sky Wee’s perspective is clear: institutional adoption, while potentially transformative, doesn’t necessarily betray Bitcoin’s core principles.—
Max (Chong) Li,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempt. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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