1
as in seduction
the pressure to give in to a desire for easy or immediate pleasure
he felt the temptation to go sailing, but did his chores instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in lure
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
money, power, and other overwhelming temptations can seduce a person to a life of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of temptation
An 11-year-old child is not emotionally equipped to choose between their parents or the temptations of the internet.
—
Jann Blackstone, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Opinion That temptation will almost certainly be too much for many countries menaced by Putin's Russia to resist.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Morning Glory: The last temptation of a grant maker.
—Fox News, 20 Feb. 2025
That temptation is exponentially more obvious for Buffalo Bills fans, who watched the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense turn Patrick Mahomes into Tyler Thigpen without ever calling a blitz.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Jann Blackstone, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Opinion That temptation will almost certainly be too much for many countries menaced by Putin's Russia to resist.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Morning Glory: The last temptation of a grant maker.
—Fox News, 20 Feb. 2025
That temptation is exponentially more obvious for Buffalo Bills fans, who watched the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense turn Patrick Mahomes into Tyler Thigpen without ever calling a blitz.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
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The quintessential vampire is instantly recognizable not just from his jet-black widow’s peak, association with bats, and black-and-red cape, but also from his well-mannered nature and unique powers of hypnosis and seduction.—
Celia Mattison,
Vulture,
27 Dec. 2024
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Yet jewelers are hardly the only ones who have fallen prey to the snake’s powers of seduction.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The lure to escape with a special someone is strong when the moon activates Neptune.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
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Stevenson, who will receive the award April 24, graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism, but the lure of golf was too strong to ignore.—
Steve Metsch,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Yet the larger rewards for men may create incentives for women to clock even longer hours to progress in their careers.—
Michelle Travis,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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Moscow returning to Western diplomatic forums could also be an incentive but any meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents should only be offered in exchange for genuine progress toward ending the war, the Quincy Institute said.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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