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
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 bribe
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
The sister of a man accused of rape showed up at a witnesses’ home with a bribe, Missouri police said.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2025
Andrew Rice, Curbed, 28 June 2025
Bo's change in demeanor came after the poster bribed her way into his graces with a brand-new soft toy, named One Brain Cell, which the feline seems to really love.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Noun
Danny Solis, Zoning chair for a decade, famously wore a wire on his colleagues after being implicated in taking bribes while heading that committee.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
The sister of a man accused of rape showed up at a witnesses’ home with a bribe, Missouri police said.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2025
Verb
Could Sliwa, the talk-radio vigilante and Republican nominee, be bribed or bullied into making way for someone more viable?
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 28 June 2025
Bo's change in demeanor came after the poster bribed her way into his graces with a brand-new soft toy, named One Brain Cell, which the feline seems to really love.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribe
Noun
-
Loyalty programs—built through airline partnerships, premium tiers and behavioral incentives—can further deepen trust and retention.—
Baranitharan Venkatakrishnan,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
During a Monday press conference, lawmakers and The Boring Co. officials did not share details on any incentives The Boring Co. receives.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
As a result, Ireland, Singapore, and other countries began offering tax incentives to lure U.S. pharmaceutical firms into establishing manufacturing operations and subsidiaries within their borders.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
22 July 2025
-
Promotions like Miami Spice and Taste the Gables, which runs through the end of July, are a way to lure customers during what is becoming an ever-longer low season.—
Connie Ogle
July 22,
Miami Herald,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Here’s the fix: no meeting should last longer than 15 minutes unless necessary.—
Jason Walker PsyD,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
The meeting between King Charles’ aides and Prince Harry’s is not seen as a definitive fix to their relationship, but as the first step towards a reconciliation.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The winner, who chose to stay anonymous, bought the ticket at a QuickTrip gas station, at 2051 FM 663 in Midlothian, the release states.—
Samara Gerstle,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 July 2025
-
The legislation, in part, calls for a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
To put it into perspective, the two 2020 and one 2021 stimulus checks issued to Americans from the stimulus package totaled around $931 billion in financial relief via the stimulus checks, according to reports from the Government Accountability Office in 2022.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
25 July 2025
-
The big story China’s economy requires more than short-term stimulus, even as deflationary pressures intensify.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
After the show's season 27 premiere included a scene in which Trump, who was depicted twice with small genitals, attempted to seduce Satan in his bedroom at the White House, members of the president's team released a statement to EW criticizing South Park.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
-
Following a near two-and-a-half-year hiatus, the premiere episode shows a naked Trump trying to seduce Satan, and came a day after the show's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had reached a $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
One of the main motivations for the group of firefighters during their recovery missions was to locate the missing Camp Mystic girls during their six days along the Guadalupe, Herrera said.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
27 July 2025
-
Whether on screen or behind the scenes, Whitley’s motivation remains rooted in her purpose: bringing joy to others.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
26 July 2025
Verb
-
For six months, President Trump tried to entice Putin to the table.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 July 2025
-
Culinary delight often begins with a visual feast that entices people to indulge in delicious flavors.—
Molly Peck,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribe. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share