as in incentive
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to lure
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bribe
Rafe Bartholomew, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Multiple figures within the sport have alleged, under oath, that members of FIFA accepted bribes in exchange for giving the World Cup to Qatar, a nation that has also been accused of facilitating human rights abuses of the migrant workers who built the country’s stadiums.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
ABC News, 4 June 2026
Two months later, chairman Lord Triesman, who passed away earlier this year, was forced to quit after being recorded speculating about referees being bribed at the World Cup.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Noun
Rozier is accused of taking a bribe to manipulate his performance.
—Rafe Bartholomew, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Multiple figures within the sport have alleged, under oath, that members of FIFA accepted bribes in exchange for giving the World Cup to Qatar, a nation that has also been accused of facilitating human rights abuses of the migrant workers who built the country’s stadiums.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Verb
The indictment maintains that, as part of a criminal enterprise, Jones and Dowling carried out a large-scale covert scheme between 2010 and 2021 to bribe state officials and to illegally advance FirstEnergy’s financial interests alongside their own.
—ABC News, 4 June 2026
Two months later, chairman Lord Triesman, who passed away earlier this year, was forced to quit after being recorded speculating about referees being bribed at the World Cup.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribe
Noun
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And given that such systems are physically possible, powerful economic and strategic incentives exist for technologists and entrepreneurs to build them.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
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The money is an incentive granted by the city after working more than 20 years to attract a builder with a project appropriate for the property, which was cleared decades earlier for redevelopment.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Businesses set up signs, posters and international flags to lure locals and tourists alike, while the Miracle Theater hosted a watch party for the match between France and Senegal.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Fallout The crisis has exposed divisions within González’s own party as her administration works to lure new investors to the island and remedy chronic power outages.—
Vera Lucia Pappaterra,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Many have been quick-fix projects that don't require as much funding or take years of planning.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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The California Chamber of Commerce, a business trade group behind the measure, argues the state’s system of approving certain developments is too slow, too muddied up by regulation and too expensive and that the initiative is the fix needed.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Laoch and Doughty bought tickets for Monday night’s Marlins game against the Texas Rangers at loanDepot park, along with more than 8,000 members of the Tartan Army.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
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To be safe, consider buying and cutting your own cantaloupe with your newfound skills.—
Alexandra Frost,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Noun
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China also engineered a massive government stimulus package to stabilize its economy.—
Paul Wiseman,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
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Central banks thought that forward guidance, particularly when interest rates were very low, could provide additional market stimulus.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
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One class in, and Hannah is thoroughly seduced both by Melanie’s flattery and by her therapyspeak approach to acting, with its talk of truth-telling and connecting to one’s body.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 June 2026
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Young women being preyed upon and seduced by rapacious Hollywood producers, stars and studio heads is a tired cliché, but like all clichés, it is based on reality.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Well, that gives me all the more motivation to bust right through that thing.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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This decline deprives teens of vital skill development, work experience, and motivation, fostering pessimism among Gen Z.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Obviously, Donnie being over there was enticing to me.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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For American diners of diverse backgrounds, chop suey struck an enticing balance between novelty and decipherability, which propelled it to national popularity even as the US government moved to exclude Chinese laborers from entering the country in 1882.—
Ashley Rose Young,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribe. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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