1
: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust
police officers accused of taking bribes
2
: something that serves to induce or influence
offered the kid a bribe to finish his homework
bribed; bribing
: to influence the judgment or conduct of (someone) with or as if with offers of money or favor : to induce or influence by or as if by bribery
attempting to bribe a judge
bribing a child with candy
: to practice bribery
Examples of bribe in a Sentence
Noun
I offered the children a bribe for finishing their homework.
that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant
Verb
She was arrested for attempting to bribe a judge.
They bribed him to keep quiet about the incident.
We bribed the children with candy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 May 2026
At the commissioner’s court meeting, area residents universally condemned the idea, variously calling it a Trojan horse, a foothold, a wasp’s nest, and a bribe.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Please, holler at your boy, soften my enemies, bribe the devil.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
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Noun
Prosecutors alleged that the defendants paid more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials, misled investors and banks to raise billions of dollars, and obstructed justice, according to court documents.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 May 2026
At the commissioner’s court meeting, area residents universally condemned the idea, variously calling it a Trojan horse, a foothold, a wasp’s nest, and a bribe.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Verb
Dan Brahmy, the CEO of the bot-detection firm Cyabra, compares this to a professional soccer league in which every club has secretly bribed a referee.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Please, holler at your boy, soften my enemies, bribe the devil.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Cite this Entry
“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bribe. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bribe
1 of 2 noun
: something given or promised to a person in order to influence a decision or action dishonestly
bribe
2 of 2 verb
bribed; bribing
: to influence or try to influence by a bribe
briber
noun
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