1
as in lured
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 risked
to take a chance on
refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation
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Recent Examples of tempted
Fragrance Isn't the Answer You might be tempted to cover that smell.
—
Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026
Burry said he had been tempted to bet against SpaceX, the rocket company owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 June 2026
And while Klopp has publicly said that his coaching days are over, it’s often speculated that were the national team to have a vacancy, he could be tempted to fill it.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 16 June 2026
The best part is, Baggu has a vast selection of reusable bags on their Amazon page that are so cute, you’ll be tempted to collect them all.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2026
How to Store Thyme If you're tempted to use up all of your fragrant thyme right away, go for it—thyme is most flavorful immediately after harvesting.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
You're tempted to lower your thermostat for a chilly home, but as a result, you're met with energy bills that are just as high (if not higher) than the temperatures outside.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
For anyone tempted to re-create the techniques at home, Ezratty strongly suggests seeing a professional.
—Lauren Finney Harden, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
You could be tempted to read too deeply into someone's silence or become defensive as a way to protect yourself.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026
Burry said he had been tempted to bet against SpaceX, the rocket company owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 June 2026
And while Klopp has publicly said that his coaching days are over, it’s often speculated that were the national team to have a vacancy, he could be tempted to fill it.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 16 June 2026
The best part is, Baggu has a vast selection of reusable bags on their Amazon page that are so cute, you’ll be tempted to collect them all.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2026
How to Store Thyme If you're tempted to use up all of your fragrant thyme right away, go for it—thyme is most flavorful immediately after harvesting.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
You're tempted to lower your thermostat for a chilly home, but as a result, you're met with energy bills that are just as high (if not higher) than the temperatures outside.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
For anyone tempted to re-create the techniques at home, Ezratty strongly suggests seeing a professional.
—Lauren Finney Harden, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
You could be tempted to read too deeply into someone's silence or become defensive as a way to protect yourself.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempted
Verb
-
One night, they were both lured into a forest by aliens disguised as animals.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Forty-eight hours before the 1980 presidential election, Carter was lured back to the White House from his desperate reelection campaign.—
Chris Matthews,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, the SAIC risked sanctions or censure from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a leading nonprofit organization that advocates for academic freedom, over its response to student activism.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Advertisement Desperate refugees risked their lives on small, unseaworthy vessels, hoping to reach the shores of neighboring Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, or Hong Kong.—
Elizabeth Holtzman,
Time,
9 June 2026
Verb
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One class in, and Hannah is thoroughly seduced both by Melanie’s flattery and by her therapyspeak approach to acting, with its talk of truth-telling and connecting to one’s body.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 June 2026
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Young women being preyed upon and seduced by rapacious Hollywood producers, stars and studio heads is a tired cliché, but like all clichés, it is based on reality.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Grady Seale, another collector, was among a handful of people from Northern California who’d ventured south for the Open House.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
-
Periodicals first presented mundane merchant reports, then ventured to publish observations on arts and literature.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Seen from the other side of the deal, that means that bond issuers must pay higher yields, or rates, for investors to be enticed to buy.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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Financial incentives offered by the conservation district, in conjunction with federal programs, have enticed farmers in the South Fork of the Republican River near Burlington to end irrigation on an additional 20,000 acres.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The administration has persuaded several dozen countries to take in deportees who are not their own citizens, including African countries plagued by armed conflict, civil unrest and political turmoil, like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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They were persuaded by the details.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempted. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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