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
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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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Financiers organized press offensives and enlisted top reporters as allies, offering lucrative jobs or outright bribes.—
Evan Hughes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Imperiale’s confessions also suggest that gang members had to pay bribes to Emirati officials.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Later in the week, get ready for what could be Kansas City’s first frost of the season, with a good soaking rain coming by week’s end, the National Weather Service said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Oct. 2025
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She was pushed into a soaking-wet corner of the concrete at the crossroads of Mass and Cass, the city’s painful addiction mile.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To help keep leaves, whole or chopped, in place during high winds or flooding rains, wet them down with a hose.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 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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Freeze warnings and frost advisories were active across a vast swath of the central and eastern United States, with temperatures dipping into the low 20s in some areas, forecasters said.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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In the background, Jacob comes up from behind, dressed as Dan, and dips Mayci into a kiss.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Amber Smith and her husband, Granger Smith, lived every parent’s worst nightmare in 2019 when their 3-year-old son, River, drowned in the family’s backyard pool.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
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The couple had three children, the eldest of whom — Rupert — drowned off the West African coast in 1986.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The tables were empty and the bar deserted, the only sign of life the clank and swish of dishes being washed in the back, through the swinging double doors.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Hands and surfaces should be washed after preparing raw meat.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hinds immersed himself in art study and spent decades as a teacher, a musician playing African drums and a performer of traditional dance.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
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One of the main ways Crampton was able to persevere was by using her skills as a chef and immersing herself in nutrition to accelerate her recovery.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The holiday decor scene is saturated—nutcrackers, gingerbread houses, bow garlands, wreaths, strings of snowflakes, glittery pinecones, and that nativity scene that’s been passed down for generations.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
21 Oct. 2025
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The updates come as the streaming market becomes increasingly saturated with options — and as other major apps hike their prices.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sop. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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