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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bait
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Several comments submitted by the public in advance of the meeting framed the 250-foot-tall allowance as a bait-and-switch move by the developer.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 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
As a result, the message is far more likely to reach a user's inbox without being flagged, increasing the chance the victim will take the bait.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Several comments submitted by the public in advance of the meeting framed the 250-foot-tall allowance as a bait-and-switch move by the developer.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 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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Beyond the lure, a nearly invisible harp net hung in the middle of a forest opening, where a single golden-haired creature was caught.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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Instead of giving in to the temptation of other people’s attention, August is instead meant to be a time to become your own soulmate.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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With every temptation, Jesus is lured into a forbidden world, and a terrified Joseph soon realizes that a demonic power is at work.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was relishing in his return to Minnesota, taunting the Gophers’ student section after his second touchdown pass on Saturday afternoon.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
29 Sep. 2025
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During the game in the first quarter, DeJean was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty for taunting.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Yet no one would be tempted to call one species natural, the other not.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The author throws out plenty of bones to tempt a composer.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Like the noon window, there are a couple other trap games to consider here.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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But there are specific pointers for ensuring your trap catches the intruder.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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PopUp bagels just opened a shop in Tampa, Florida, and recently teased plans to open one in Atlanta, Georgia, by year’s end.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
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The singer teased that her daughter may be ready to step out on her own and start her own career in the music industry.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The novel opens as the teenage Karl Rossmann, whose parents shipped him off to America for fathering a child when he was seduced by the family’s thirty-five-year-old cook, arrives on a steamer in New York harbor and sees the Statue of Liberty holding not the emblematic torch but rather a sword.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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Her distinctive style stance has seduced the likes of Addison Rae, Ice Spice, Kylie Jenner, Hari Nef, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, Chloë Sevigny and Sarah Jessica Parker.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pheelz has a way of using unattached vocals to enhance his baseline production that provides additional melody — even to someone like Fireboy who seems to ooze ear worm vocal hooks.—
Heran Mamo,
Billboard,
30 Sep. 2025
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The production is lush, but leaves room for his diverse flows and easily recitable hooks to stick with listeners.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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