1
as in lure
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
cheese is the traditional bait for trapping mice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temptation
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
the promise of free vacation is surefire bait to get people to agree to be chaperones for school trips
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
I wished the candidates would stop baiting each other and instead address the real issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
the investment scheme cunningly baits the greedy and the unscrupulous
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bait
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
Can we be blamed for taking the bait?
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Nick Caruso, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025
Thus, complementary approaches such as acoustic monitoring, baited remote cameras, and tagging studies, are still needed to build an accurate understanding of shark populations and movements.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Noun
Ant baits are effective because foraging workers take the food back to the nest and share so that everyone in the colony is exposed.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
Can we be blamed for taking the bait?
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
Even Will clocks the fact that Rachel’s trying to bait Keanu a bit.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025
Thus, complementary approaches such as acoustic monitoring, baited remote cameras, and tagging studies, are still needed to build an accurate understanding of shark populations and movements.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait
Noun
-
Colorful reef and drift dives are the lure in the waters around Marsa Alam, where more than 60 spectacular dive sites are a siren call to (wet) suit up.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Gebhardt is named as a defendant in a suit brought by four former Olivet students who say Jang and his disciples trafficked them to the United States with the lure of full scholarships and then forced them to work for little or no pay, with some having their passports withheld.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Starring Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade, the story delves deep into the temptations that young athletes face on the journey to going pro, and just how much one is willing to sacrifice for success.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The United States, however, presumably founded in order to rid citizens of the weight of history and tradition and to orient them toward a continuously improving future, offered more, and alluringly different, temptations.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The two half-brothers had argued frequently, taunted one another online, and called each other derogatory names, both sides agreed.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Investigators have searched Robinson's home and interviewed family members, uncovering ammunition engraved with taunting messages and online activity suggesting radicalization.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Alan is a married man tempted by things that could be, but his friendship with Roger grounds the story in a rare portrayal of Black male vulnerability.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Still, Beamer grew up in Blacksburg and might be tempted to rebuild his dad’s old program.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In 2016, when Bad Bunny first emerged, he was identified with a style known as Latin trap, a woozy and thudding hybrid that owes something to American hip-hop.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
-
There’s one more Medicare trap to consider that applies regardless of your election for Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage.—
Steve Vernon,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As of Tuesday night, South Park’s X account still hasn’t teased any hints of what Episode 5 will be about, something the show has done consistently before the previous three episodes.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Cardi teased on Today about the follow-up to her smash 2018 debut LP, Invasion of Privacy.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These two energies seduced me to find womxn who, through their artistic work, were open to rebellious acts such as publishing art books on essential topics.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
What really happened was that Cherry seduced Daniel into leaving after spotting her ex-boyfriend Nicholas’s new fiancée.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rising costs, shrinking margins, and uncertain downstream revenues mean buyers want not just artistry but clear commercial paths — awards buzz, international pre-sales, or genre hooks — that guarantee theatrical draw.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
-
That emotional hook turns facts into memorable moments.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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