as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
a con man whose dupes are usually led on by their own greed and eagerness to turn an easy buck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lead on
Verb
-
Yet no one would be tempted to call one species natural, the other not.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025 -
The author throws out plenty of bones to tempt a composer.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The town dates back to the 1860s, when Union Pacific's nearby coal deposits lured thousands of immigrant laborers to the mines and railyards as the company neared the completion of the transcontinental railroad.—
Jenna McMurtry,
NPR,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Starring Lee Jung-jae, the series follows a group of indebted individuals who are lured into a macabre number of challenges that promise riches for the winner.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Here are some of the less invasive procedures seducing Hollywood, as well as some of their most sought-after practitioners.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Janet and Brad are put in separate rooms and both are seduced in the night by a shape-shifting Frank – in Janet's case, losing her virginity.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, Pittsburgh’s defense rested on the idea that the taxes equal out when considering the school-district tax—a point, as explained above, that failed to persuade the judges who have presided over this litigation.—
Robert Raiola,
Sportico.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Following two successful seasons at Ole Miss, Lane weighed the possibility of taking another head coaching job, but Landry persuaded him to stay.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The possibilities are enticing because of how both Mara and Johnson grade out defensively.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound outside linebacker has a draft pedigree that could entice other squads.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Lead on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lead%20on. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share