as in enticing
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1
as in luring
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
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2
as in risking
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 tempting
Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Machado’s strategy could appear to have been a devil’s bargain—tempting Trump with the prospect of petrodollars in exchange for ousting Maduro, her nemesis.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Choosing safer plants, securing the tree and keeping tempting items out of reach can help ensure the season stays festive for everyone, including the four-legged members of the family.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Adjective
Things To Leave Behind It may be tempting to bring fine jewelry for a formal dinner or those dazzling red heels that go with only one of your dresses, but some things should be left at home to help maximize your space and avoid losing a beloved item.
—Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Machado’s strategy could appear to have been a devil’s bargain—tempting Trump with the prospect of petrodollars in exchange for ousting Maduro, her nemesis.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Luke, for his part, is described as roaming the land looking for Force artifacts, while Leia and Han will be spotted in areas near the Millennium Falcon and Oga’s Cantina, the latter tempting Han while Leia will serve the role of a recruiter.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Choosing safer plants, securing the tree and keeping tempting items out of reach can help ensure the season stays festive for everyone, including the four-legged members of the family.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempting
Adjective
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The enticing menu offers the best of American cuisine but with an inventive, upscale edge.—
Courtney Cherry,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
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This co-op multiplayer experience will support the entire campaign and optional gameplay modifiers that aim to make replays more enticing and challenging.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the seductions of ChatGPT are hard to resist, and Marsicano noted that the college has seen an increase in code violations due to AI.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
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The seductions are not just for ratings.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ben Affleck returned for his fourth Super Bowl effort for Dunkin’, this time luring Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady, Jason Alexander, Jasmine Guy, Tom Brady and Jaleel White for a spot that evoked 1990s sitcoms.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
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Both Kelly and Landfair were adamant about their love, and a 17-year-old Landfair was so deep under her abuser’s spell that her parents had no hope of successfully luring her away from Kelly.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Neighborhoods are increasingly squeezed by major projects and rising property values, risking resident displacement.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Attention is the new de-risking tool.—
Martin Moszkowicz,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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If the Heat can pull this off, the immediate upside is tantalizing, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
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Entertainment news website ScreenRant raised the tantalizing possibility that the world could get its first look at the film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Phoebe Dynevor and Ashley Walters among the big game's television commercials.—
Paul Edward Parker,
The Providence Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Trump’s exhortations to the oil industry dovetail with a broader push to address cost-of-living concerns weighing heavily on Republicans’ bid to maintain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
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In Queen Mother, Farmer takes a clear-eyed look at Moore’s foibles, noting her absenteeism during her son’s formative years, her embrace of patriarchal hierarchy in Black communities, and her exhortations for Black women to embrace polygyny to facilitate nation building.—
Dara T. Mathis,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This is so outrageous that even Creepy Professor Oliver McCreepenstein, a middle-aged married man currently seducing his 17-year-old student, is aghast.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
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Always on the phone, Evans was soon seducing and scrapping with everyone from Frank Sinatra (who threatened to pull Mia Farrow off Rosemary’s Baby) to suits refusing to cast a washed up Marlon Brando in The Godfather.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Or, indeed, anyone else’s, given its alluring but thoroughly peculiar jumble of comic, dramatic and generally antic tones, or the increasingly indeterminate target of its hollow social satire.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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If ambiance is as alluring as the food for your romantic rendezvous, this high-style seafood spot in downtown Milwaukee is for you.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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