1
: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust
police officers accused of taking bribes
2
: something that serves to induce or influence
offered the kid a bribe to finish his homework
bribed; bribing
: to influence the judgment or conduct of (someone) with or as if with offers of money or favor : to induce or influence by or as if by bribery
attempting to bribe a judge
bribing a child with candy
: to practice bribery
Examples of bribe in a Sentence
Noun
I offered the children a bribe for finishing their homework.
that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant
Verb
She was arrested for attempting to bribe a judge.
They bribed him to keep quiet about the incident.
We bribed the children with candy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
The bribes started at $1,000 a week in 2013 and snowballed into $10,000 bonuses and expensive gifts including an Apple MacBook, a John Deere tractor with a backhoe and loader, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, according to Foley’s office.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025
In addition, longtime Coral Gables police officer Edwin Pagan III, a deputized DEA agent, was charged in November with playing a supporting role in the conspiracy to bribe Costanzo with tens of thousands of dollars for access to confidential information about drug-trafficking suspects.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bribe
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Noun
Adams partly made good on the bribes by forcing the FDNY to disregard safety concerns and prematurely open a Midtown skyscraper housing Turkey’s consulate in time for a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the case alleges.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
The bribes started at $1,000 a week in 2013 and snowballed into $10,000 bonuses and expensive gifts including an Apple MacBook, a John Deere tractor with a backhoe and loader, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, according to Foley’s office.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
Since 1977, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) has prohibited U.S. companies and individuals from bribing foreign officials to gain a business advantage.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025
In addition, longtime Coral Gables police officer Edwin Pagan III, a deputized DEA agent, was charged in November with playing a supporting role in the conspiracy to bribe Costanzo with tens of thousands of dollars for access to confidential information about drug-trafficking suspects.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Articles Related to bribe
Cite this Entry
“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bribe. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bribe
1 of 2 noun
: something given or promised to a person in order to influence a decision or action dishonestly
bribe
2 of 2 verb
bribed; bribing
: to influence or try to influence by a bribe
briber
noun
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