lead on

verb

Definition of lead onnext
as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage a con man whose dupes are usually led on by their own greed and eagerness to turn an easy buck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lead on
  1. tempt
  2. lure
  3. seduce
  4. persuade
  5. entice
Verb
  • All of this excitement may tempt you to place some bets on what will happen — but is that actually a good idea?
    Becca Stanek, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024
  • The fact that its nuclear warheads are so close to Ukraine could, in fact, tempt Russia to conduct a false-flag operation on its own storage sites in order to justify a nuclear attack.
    William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of tempt
Verb
  • Over the past two years, there have been episodic reports of Cuban, Indian, and Nepalese soldiers and volunteers lured to fight for Russia.
    Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
  • While Wanda made tea for herself, an astral projection of her Scarlet Witch alter ego was seen in another room of the cabin, studying the Darkhold spellbook… until the distant sound of her son calling for help lured her away.
    Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of lure
Verb
  • Cruel Intentions follows the elite students of Manchester College, where two ruthless step-siblings will do anything to stay on top of the cutthroat social hierarchy, including seducing the daughter of the vice-president of the United States.
    Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Police later learned that the prisoners had seduced the seamstress as a part of their escape plot.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Definition of seduce
Verb
  • In this capacity, the Chinese leadership can—and must—lead a collective effort to persuade Russia to secure its vulnerable warheads, drawing on its own expanding bilateral relationship with Moscow.
    William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
  • This could persuade voters who support fair districts to vote against the amendment; there have already been anecdotal reports of voters intending to vote for Issue 1 but getting confused by the ballot language in the voting booth and voting against it instead.
    Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of persuade
Verb
  • This approach also allows businesses to adopt next-generation capabilities without overwhelming their existing infrastructure or processes as an organization, enticing your organization to continue with transformation along the way.
    Josh Ashby, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • At jewelry houses, timepieces offered male clients a reason to treat themselves while buying baubles for their significant others, or they were seen as a mass-marketing tool, a means of enticing clients who might not be able to afford a million-dollar high-jewelry necklace or five-figure handbag.
    Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of entice
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near lead on

leadoff

lead on

lead one down the garden path

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lead on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lead%20on. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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