as in bribe
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to soak
to wet thoroughly with liquid
sopped the sponge with the detergent and began scrubbing the floor vigorously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wet
to make wet
my book fell in the swimming pool and was thoroughly sopped before I could fish it out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dip
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid
hesitant to sop his bread in gravy, no matter how delicious, at such a formal banquet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sop
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Simpson emerged as a spear-carrier for Social Security benefit cuts in 2010, when he was appointed the GOP co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, established by Barack Obama as a sop to conservative deficit hawks.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
Strain the sauce and drizzle some of it over the shredded pork (the pork should be lightly coated but not sopping wet).
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sop
Noun
In a clip posted by Russia watcher Julia Davis, the guests suggested that Putin's agreement for a 30-day cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure was just a sop to Trump and showed no real intention by the Russian president to end hostilities.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Simpson emerged as a spear-carrier for Social Security benefit cuts in 2010, when he was appointed the GOP co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, established by Barack Obama as a sop to conservative deficit hawks.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
All of the moisture cloaked over South Florida still has to fall and there won’t be enough Saharan dust to sop it up like a paper towel.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
Strain the sauce and drizzle some of it over the shredded pork (the pork should be lightly coated but not sopping wet).
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sop
Noun
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Authorities said the pair took bribes to rig bets on pitches thrown during MLB games.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
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There, colleges were deprived of their employees’ honest services because admissions staff and coaches accepted parents’ bribes.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Kosher Young Turkey The brand’s Kosher Fresh Young Turkeys are certified kosher, and they’re soaked and salted with no giblets.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Nov. 2025
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Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, trimming or breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit.—
Amanda Holstein,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Place chopped leaves in a large wire bin and wet each layer.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
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But the comedy is absolutely something that wets my beak, I'm drawn to it.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The number of cancellations doubled to 148 Tuesday, while the number of delays dipped somewhat to 2,133, the website reported.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
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Olaplex sales dipped in the third quarter, but surpassed Wall Street sales forecasts.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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One villager has drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, officials confirmed to the Associated Press, while another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province after being pinned by debris from a collapsed home.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Employees unable to properly wash their hands and food storage units that can’t keep the hot food hot or the cold food cold got a West Miami-Dade bakery in hot water with state inspectors.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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After assisting a customer, an employee put on gloves and scooped ice from the ice machine without washing their hands.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The result isn’t always an easier character for the actor to pull off, but removing the Hollywood hotness factor provides an opportunity for at-home audiences to fully immerse themselves in the story.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
5 Nov. 2025
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These electrodes, when immersed in molten salt, successfully generated electricity while maintaining their structure and stability.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The irony is that in a market saturated with sustainability talk, Magnolia Pearl’s revolt feels almost old-fashioned.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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The challenge is, as brands get wise to the trends in nomadic, traditional jewelry, the space is becoming saturated, says Jello.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sop. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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