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 Holmgren baited Hauser into a foul — deja vu from the final seconds of C’s-Thunder Round 1 — Baylor Scheierman replaced him and buried two quick triples, the second putting the Celtics up 74-73.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Claude, for example, wouldn’t be baited into partisan controversy.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
During Moore’s arrest, another officer baited him into making an incriminating statement, Judge Patton found at the preliminary hearing.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
The meme coin reeks of a scam called a rug pull, in which followers are baited into buying the coin to boost its value, before the founder sells all their assets at a higher price.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
In the throes of a second-half rally, the Bears baited a hook — three tight ends plus an extra offensive lineman — to lure a heavy personnel package from the Packers’ defense.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
They're known as problem crocodiles, though catching them is fairly easy, in cages baited with wild boar meat.
—Holly Williams, CBS News, 19 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
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
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Claude, for example, wouldn’t be baited into partisan controversy.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
During Moore’s arrest, another officer baited him into making an incriminating statement, Judge Patton found at the preliminary hearing.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
The meme coin reeks of a scam called a rug pull, in which followers are baited into buying the coin to boost its value, before the founder sells all their assets at a higher price.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
In the throes of a second-half rally, the Bears baited a hook — three tight ends plus an extra offensive lineman — to lure a heavy personnel package from the Packers’ defense.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
They're known as problem crocodiles, though catching them is fairly easy, in cages baited with wild boar meat.
—Holly Williams, CBS News, 19 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baited
Verb
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Instead, the President taunted America’s allies, some of whom had been pleading for a settlement over Hormuz.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the arrest and booking photo.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Arriving in the same valley under unseasonably blue skies and warm winter sun, you might be tempted to think that Steinbeck’s California has vanished entirely.—
Alexandra Genova,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
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Viewers may be tempted to join and trade based on that placement.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The actors teased their big comeback via social media.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
5 Apr. 2026
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At the 2024 Grammys, Beyoncé teased her eighth studio album with a tip of her cowboy hat as the two struck a pose at their table.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And research shows young people are particularly at risk of sports gambling problems, lured in by splashy advertisements often featuring celebrities and promises of low risks and high rewards.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
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Prosecutors say Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane was lured to a Dallas studio, then allegedly kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint by a group that included Pooh Shiesty and Big30.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But many other comments mocked the shop along with its presidential namesake, with a few detractors posting memes of tearful snowflakes topped with red MAGA hats.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tommy disburses stuffings and sauces to hungry locals as the GIs seduced their grandmothers with Camels and nylon stockings.—
Dominic Green,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The craft, once passed down through generations, is now facing the reality that fewer young people—seduced by high-flying, big-city office jobs—are interested in toiling in its timeworn factories.—
Jessica Binns,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More than half of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in such plans, enticed by lower monthly premiums and extra benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, according to health policy research firm KFF.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
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Kan added that the high prices added another incentive for Hong Kongers to travel to mainland Chinese cities like neighboring Shenzhen, which have enticed growing numbers of Hong Kong visitors with more affordable grocery and dining costs in recent years.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By late 2015, Musk was persuaded.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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But these lopsided outcomes have not persuaded the media to treat the war as an American strategic success.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baited. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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