as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
the hunter lured the lion into the open with the antelope carcass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in temptation
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
the promise of easy money is always the lure for some people to play the lottery good schools are a lure for prospective home buyers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bait
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
the fish simply didn't seem to like the lure I was using, so I didn't catch a thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seduction
the act or pressure of giving in to a desire especially when ill-advised
the lure of the video game was distracting me from my studies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of lure
Ed White,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
The federation has been successful in luring top names like Hakimi, 2026 UEFA Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, but not with others like Spanish star Laime Yamal, who chose to represent the country of his birth.
—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
24 June 2026
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for lure
Verb
The victims told police that Arnold’s friends lured them to an apartment, held them at gunpoint and hit them, all the while streaming the attack to Arnold.
—
Ed White,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
The federation has been successful in luring top names like Hakimi, 2026 UEFA Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, but not with others like Spanish star Laime Yamal, who chose to represent the country of his birth.
—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
24 June 2026
Noun
The lure of gambling is everywhere now that almost every major sports league has financial relationships with betting companies.
—
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for lure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lure
Verb
-
Known as Vision 2030, profits from gas and oil have been pumped into the development of a leisure infrastructure to tempt tourists and boost the level of business to local companies.
-
Although some folks advise using a shortcut, don’t be tempted to use your oven.
Noun
-
The temptation is to read those two companies as competing bets on the same market.
-
There is a temptation to read the Congo and the United States as separate stories, one about a fragile state far away and one about our own polarized politics.
Noun
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Former Mayor Sue Lynch had hopes of turning the former school into a community center, but no private partners took the bait after a study for the project was dangled before potential stakeholders.
-
The Golden Globes, at the bare minimum, could likely take the bait on a performance like his.
Noun
-
The rhythm of the writing shows the staccato nature of those relationships, with their stops and starts, and how sometimes signs of seduction cannot be misinterpreted or not picked up at all.
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There is no grand seduction scene.
Verb
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The writer thinks that the person seducing the main character is just some flotsam, hardly worth a second look.
-
Blyth was nominated in the supporting role as Mildred's spoiled daughter, Veda, who seduces her mother's second husband (Zachary Scott), then riddles him with bullets in a jealous rage.
Noun
-
The state has also earmarked $1 billion in incentives to lure the Chicago Bears to Hammond.
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The president’s willingness to offer sanctions relief and other incentives will need to be part of an eventual deal.
Verb
-
Obviously, Donnie being over there was enticing to me.
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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.
Noun
-
It’s situated in downtown Sarasota near Sarasota Bay, putting you close to an array of restaurants and attractions like The Bay park and Selby Gardens.
-
Let’s talk about the angst and awkwardness of teenage attraction.
Cite this Entry
“Lure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lure. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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