1
as in lure
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
cheese is the traditional bait for trapping mice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temptation
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
the promise of free vacation is surefire bait to get people to agree to be chaperones for school trips
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
I wished the candidates would stop baiting each other and instead address the real issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
the investment scheme cunningly baits the greedy and the unscrupulous
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bait
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025
After The Hunt is a perfect Oscar-bait film.
—Rachel Choy, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025
Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Trolling crank baits along points and flats 15 feet deep over deeper water should still work.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Noun
That’s probably gonna go up on the wall with the blade bait beside the mount.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025
After The Hunt is a perfect Oscar-bait film.
—Rachel Choy, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
But its captain learned nothing from his passengers, the main reason being that the captain did not have a chance to bait hooks.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Trolling crank baits along points and flats 15 feet deep over deeper water should still work.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait
Noun
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This, too, meshes with the politics of the time, given the lure that Canada had for those fleeing the draft, and the dangers faced by refuseniks who stayed behind.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
-
According to Hanke, Milei’s big loss in the Buenos Aires contest and the acceleration in the peso’s decline confirmed the Money Doctor’s warning that the inevitable lure for mismanaging the peso was Milei’s Achilles’ heel.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Is there a temptation to restore Murillo?—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
It is made up of Marcus Aurelius’s advice to himself, produced perhaps as an antidote to being constantly surrounded by and subjected to the temptation and corruption of life as Emperor.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Upon further review, Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson could be seen taunting the crowd as the play started, mere seconds before Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed the 52-yard touchdown to get his team the win.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
These included letters from BTK himself, taunting police on being unable to catch him.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dining options are so good you may be tempted to stay on the property for your meals.—
Sara Liss,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Oct. 2025
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And just in case they are tempted, Ghost has adopted a strict no-phones policy at its shows.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
GahnSmith is joined by Jay Frandsen, a Parks ecosystem scientist conducting water surveys and checking camera traps along the journey.—
Chloe Berge,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Even experienced users can fall for these traps.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jenner, 28, began teasing the song earlier in the day on Monday, sharing the cover art in a post to her Instagram account.—
Amy McCarthy,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
SpaceX teases a return to eye-catching booster landings After using most of its fuel and propelling Starship toward space, the Super Heavy on Monday safely broke away from the upper Starship spacecraft and veered back toward Earth.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Countless service members were seduced by the region’s beauty and fair weather and chose to settle here.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Models walking his sultry runway seduced the audience in beautiful suiting, a dress with a plunging neckline that mirrored an equally high slit.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Bella Vista Property Owners Association members and their guests may remove grass carp with hook and line or bowfishing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Oct. 2025
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The new hook Sunglasses and keychains may have been high-end fashion's gateway purchases of the past.—
Monica Pitrelli,Zamrooth Nisha,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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