sweet-talk

1 of 2

verb

sweet-talked; sweet-talking; sweet-talks

intransitive verb

: to use flattery

sweet talk

2 of 2

noun

Examples of sweet-talk in a Sentence

Noun enough of this sweet talk—just give me your honest opinion of my performance
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In a second video, Murrow sweet-talks the cat to come out of the hole and walk toward him. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Payson sweet-talked a stewardess into giving him 80 of them. Mary Roach, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 While Kane was setting a template for future generations of sweet-talking lyricists, his efforts eventually clashed with those of gangsta rap’s emerging stars like N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube, who appealed to the genre’s most hyper-masculine sensibilities. Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 6 Sep. 2023 His adolescence at times could be a point of contention with club owners, who were reluctant to allow underage musicians in their venue; Hawkins had to sweet-talk the proprietors. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2023 While she sweet-talks, Drissman will sprint to his car for an extendable pole fashioned by a friend. Detroit Free Press, 23 July 2023 Yes, the same Henrik Fisker who sweet-talked his way to a $529 million U.S. Department of Energy loan to built the Fisker Karma in 2009. IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2023 At some level, SVB collapsed for the same reason that female and Black and Latino founders still struggle to get VC funding, or that shaggy-haired kids manage to sweet-talk people into giving them billions for crypto Ponzi schemes: The tech industry and its financing are about relationships. WIRED, 13 Mar. 2023
Noun
Just in case that gave Reba a leg up, don't let her sweet talk you. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 When things aren’t working on a practical level, though, no amount of sweet talk can cover that up. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2024 Know when to say no, and refuse to let anyone sweet talk you into something that eats up your time, offering limited return. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024 During the ride to the police station, the driver was trying to sweet talk the officer into not arresting him and instead letting his wife pick him up. John Benson, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 Cuban boleros, street-corner sweet talk, Mexican songs, Frank Sinatra ballads, and Frankie Laine melodramas . . . Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023 All the sweet talk in the world may not be enough to make some onerous responsibility appealing. Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2022 In a different era, NBC and its TV rivals would likely save some of the sweet talk for next year. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Nov. 2021 Some quick notes on everyone else: Aimee finally breaks up with Steve after a sweet talk with Adam's mom Maureen. Quinci Legardye, Marie Claire, 22 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweet-talk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1928, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweet-talk was in 1901

Dictionary Entries Near sweet-talk

sweet-sweet

sweet-talk

sweet talk

Cite this Entry

“Sweet-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet-talk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!