1
as in taunted
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
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2
as in tempted
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
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Recent Examples of baited
After Brock Purdy snuck for two yards and a first down, the quarter ended and the 49ers had baited the hook.
—
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Traps can be baited with peanut butter, marshmallows, pet food, or other tidbits from your pantry.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 7 Jan. 2026
The Muslim community in Dearborn, and indeed all Muslim communities across Michigan and the whole of our nation, will not be intimidated or baited by low-rent bigots.
—Heath Kalb, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Years later, Green said James baited him into the punch.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Lozano successfully baited Portland’s Juan Mosquera into shoving him, prompting a red card to close the Timbers’ night of frustration.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Fears baited Arkansas forward Malique Ewin into a pair of first-half fouls.
—Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 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
For a chipmunk that is causing structural damage, such as undermining the foundation of stairs or walkways, rat-sized snap traps baited with peanut butter are effective, says Anderson.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Traps can be baited with peanut butter, marshmallows, pet food, or other tidbits from your pantry.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 7 Jan. 2026
The Muslim community in Dearborn, and indeed all Muslim communities across Michigan and the whole of our nation, will not be intimidated or baited by low-rent bigots.
—Heath Kalb, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Years later, Green said James baited him into the punch.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Lozano successfully baited Portland’s Juan Mosquera into shoving him, prompting a red card to close the Timbers’ night of frustration.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Fears baited Arkansas forward Malique Ewin into a pair of first-half fouls.
—Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 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
For a chipmunk that is causing structural damage, such as undermining the foundation of stairs or walkways, rat-sized snap traps baited with peanut butter are effective, says Anderson.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baited
Verb
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Lazzaro argued in court the mall victim was the aggressor and had taunted Hernandez over his history as a government informant, saying his reputation as a snitch would put him in grave danger back in prison.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Flex, who taunted Cassie on Instagram immediately after the Diddy verdict, is not turning back that tide.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Let that be your motivation for restraint the next time you’re tempted to splurge on a latte.—
Jonathan Zeller,
New Yorker,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Could you be tempted back into that world?—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hilary Duff teased a new single with a video of her singing in a soaking wet butter yellow dress.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
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As teased by a first look clip, this twist will give way to season-long feuds, shocking betrayals, and plenty of trash talk.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Heaps also indicated that she was lured to the Summit by majority owner Rob Cohen and coach Nick Cushing, who previously coached the Manchester City women and Major League Soccer's NYCFC.—
Romi Bean,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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By Michael Sasso | Bloomberg Sales of new homes in the US were little changed in October but remain near the strongest pace since 2023 as builders lured anxious customers with price cuts and incentives.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 45-year-old's work at the CBS Evening News desk was even criticized by fellow TV personality Megyn Kelly, who relentlessly mocked Dokoupil for crying during a CBS News Miami clip that saw him being interviewed by a local broadcaster and subsequently crying over memories of his childhood.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
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Google even subtly mocked the iPhone’s AI shortcomings in ads promoting the release of its latest Pixel phone last summer.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Released in 1994, Sátántangó (based on László Krasznahorka’s novel) chronicled an impoverished Hungarian village that becomes seduced by a would-be prophet who has seemingly come back from the dead.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
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This year, we were seduced by silver trays and a new take on the TV-dinner table.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The lure of a coveted Riverside jacket, bag and sneakers enticed Powell to try out for the team.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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The lure of a coveted Riverside jacket, bag, and sneakers enticed Powell to try out for the team.—
Luke Cyphers,
Rolling Stone,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not persuaded the protesters to stay off the streets.—
Henry Austin,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
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The paintings worked because viewers did not need to be persuaded that these scenes mattered.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baited. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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