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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risking
to take a chance on
refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in enticing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tempting
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2025
With the appearance of a tempting jelly dessert, one swipe delivers a sheer, dewy burst of color (and even a glossy lip).
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2025
Despite steamy temperatures and tempting beach days, Northwest Indiana students are soon heading back to school.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
Also tempting are two indoor and two outdoor pools, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, a mini splash park for kids, pickleball and tennis courts, the fitness center, the soon-to-expand spa, and, of course, the beach.
—Johanna Read, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Verb
Old Habit: Planting a Fast-Spreading Plant to Fill In an Empty Garden Space
English ivy, ajuga, bamboo, mint, and wisteria all look so tempting in their small containers at the garden center.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2025
With the appearance of a tempting jelly dessert, one swipe delivers a sheer, dewy burst of color (and even a glossy lip).
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2025
Despite steamy temperatures and tempting beach days, Northwest Indiana students are soon heading back to school.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
Also tempting are two indoor and two outdoor pools, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, a mini splash park for kids, pickleball and tennis courts, the fitness center, the soon-to-expand spa, and, of course, the beach.
—Johanna Read, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempting
Verb
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The promise of a $225,000 starting salary at a top corporate law firm is luring many, making the financial burden of law school seem more justifiable.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
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Ewen says the task for Southwest will be striking a balance between luring new customers, which could potentially improve financials, and keeping existing customers happy.—
Dallas Morning News,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The problem is that there aren't really many enticing quarterback options available at this stage of the offseason.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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Vavassori and Errani’s mastery of the doubles court shows why the tradeoffs may need adjusting for the future: Cutting out lots of their comrades means cutting down the most enticing matchups of singles vs. doubles.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The seduction of cognitive automation helps explain a worrying pattern: AI tools can boost the productivity of experts but may also actively mislead novices in expertise-heavy fields such as legal services.—
David Autor,
The Atlantic,
24 Aug. 2025
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Back in Barcelona, Eva embarks on a new life, single and open to the game of seduction and romance.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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More news: Pittsburgh Steelers Make Surprising RB Decision Still, thanks to his tantalizing, quick-twitch athleticism, Burden was considered a late first-round pick by some going into April, so when the Bears were able to nab him with the 39th overall pick, Chicago fans were more than pleased.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
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Penix averaged a modest 15.2 fantasy points per game in his three starts to conclude the season, but his showing in the finale against Carolina (312 yards passing with 2 TDs and another on the ground) left a tantalizing impression.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Friday on the Telegram social network that his government would act preemptively to establish self-reliance in response to exhortations by Thai nationalists to cut off electricity and internet connectivity to Cambodia.—
Sopheng Cheang,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
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On the other side of the classroom wall giggling erupted, which rendered my exhortations futile.—
Sally Ventura
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
Verb
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The agency has sued companies for persuading veterans to sell their pension and disability payments, for charging military families more than thirty-six per cent interest on pawn loans, and for misleading servicemembers to take costly cash-out refinance loans on their homes.—
E. Tammy Kim,
The New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2025
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The Bears don’t appear to be having much trouble persuading offensive players to come to Chicago after hiring Johnson, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The gist is that the ugly downsides of shaping the AI to give out lies are offset by the alluring upside of the AI always giving out answers (or nearly so).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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The documentary centers on Samim, 23, a devoted soldier of the Taliban’s ideology that has shaped his destiny since birth, who struggles between the alluring promises of martyrdom and the mundanity of his daily existence as a husband and farmer.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Despite the entreaties from suburban locales to build a stadium outside Colorado’s capital city, most reporting this summer has pointed to evidence that the Broncos are most strongly exploring a site that would keep them in Denver.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
22 Aug. 2025
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The belief is that users do not want to slog through a series of back-and-forth entreaties.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempting. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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