Definition of temptationnext
1
as in seduction
the pressure to give in to a desire for easy or immediate pleasure he felt the temptation to go sailing, but did his chores instead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of temptation There will be a temptation here to opine about whether May’s decision to jilt the Wolverines after a two-year stopover is yet another sign of college athletics gone to pot, to deflect the chaos May has created and turn him into another victim of a bad system. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 Now that the Americans are on to the next round, there’s a temptation to look beyond next week’s group-stage finale with Turkey and ahead at which teams might be looming in the knockout rounds. Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 Considering the intangibles Braun brings, which includes getting the fans involved following his athletic, rim-rattling slam dunks, the team may avoid any temptation to trade Braun just to gain relief from his salary. Gary Bedore june 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026 The study comes with a major caveat to avoid the temptation of comparison. Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
  • There is no grand seduction scene.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
  • The seduction of despair can be intense, whether on the personal or the political level.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • While most of them are completely fair game to use in every state when paired with an artificial lure, people are often surprised to learn that this is not always the case when fishing with live or natural dead bait.
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
  • The lure of family, however, remains.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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