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bait

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bait distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of bait are badger, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When can badger be used instead of bait?

Although the words badger and bait have much in common, badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When would chivy be a good substitute for bait?

While the synonyms chivy and bait are close in meaning, chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of bait?

The words heckle and bait are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

When could hector be used to replace bait?

The words hector and bait can be used in similar contexts, but hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

Where would hound be a reasonable alternative to bait?

The meanings of hound and bait largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

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 bait
Noun
Ant baits are effective because foraging workers take the food back to the nest and share so that everyone in the colony is exposed. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025 Can we be blamed for taking the bait? Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
Even Will clocks the fact that Rachel’s trying to bait Keanu a bit. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025 Thus, complementary approaches such as acoustic monitoring, baited remote cameras, and tagging studies, are still needed to build an accurate understanding of shark populations and movements. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait
Noun
  • Colorful reef and drift dives are the lure in the waters around Marsa Alam, where more than 60 spectacular dive sites are a siren call to (wet) suit up.
    Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Gebhardt is named as a defendant in a suit brought by four former Olivet students who say Jang and his disciples trafficked them to the United States with the lure of full scholarships and then forced them to work for little or no pay, with some having their passports withheld.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Equally important, leadership must resist the temptation to measure success solely in quarterly earnings.
    Hank Cardello, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Suddenly, temptation is everywhere.
    Ana Morales, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The two half-brothers had argued frequently, taunted one another online, and called each other derogatory names, both sides agreed.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Investigators have searched Robinson's home and interviewed family members, uncovering ammunition engraved with taunting messages and online activity suggesting radicalization.
    Amanda Castro Hannah Parry Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Why Corporate Leaders Should Care Executives might be tempted to dismiss PSLF as a narrow policy issue affecting only government and nonprofit workers.
    Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • You may be tempted to go straight in with loads of product, but for the best lash look, Gray recommends starting little by little.
    Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Inconsistency is another trap—being visible during a launch but silent during challenges erodes credibility.
    Heather Rosenow, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Low-lying areas that trap water are perfect environments for mosses.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As of Tuesday night, South Park’s X account still hasn’t teased any hints of what Episode 5 will be about, something the show has done consistently before the previous three episodes.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Cardi teased on Today about the follow-up to her smash 2018 debut LP, Invasion of Privacy.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • These two energies seduced me to find womxn who, through their artistic work, were open to rebellious acts such as publishing art books on essential topics.
    Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
  • What really happened was that Cherry seduced Daniel into leaving after spotting her ex-boyfriend Nicholas’s new fiancée.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Rising costs, shrinking margins, and uncertain downstream revenues mean buyers want not just artistry but clear commercial paths — awards buzz, international pre-sales, or genre hooks — that guarantee theatrical draw.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
  • That emotional hook turns facts into memorable moments.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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