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
-
Having failed to secure a ticket, I was taunted with pitying one-upmanship by acquaintances who had had more success.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
You might be tempted to say yes too quickly or settle for less just to avoid the discomfort of waiting.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But maybe you were tempted to let Clippy stay, like a digital pet that had quietly wandered over to express curiosity before settling in to keep you company.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer behind such durable hits as Cats (1981), Phantom of the Opera, and Evita, has teased a new musical about the early 20th century theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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Or maybe, as some eyebrow-raising posts on social media jokingly teased, foreshadowing a possible papal presidential run?—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While some of the women who came here willingly embraced ISIS ideology and passed it on to their children, many others say they were trafficked or lured to the region through ignorance or under false pretenses.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
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The subsidies lured Reservation Dogs.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Szépvölgyi mocked the prime minister, who is 62, for seeming unsteady when boos erupted at one of his recent rallies.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
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There, a drag performer mocked the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.—
Michael O'Boyle,
Bloomberg,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inside, a fuzzy white possum, seduced by cat food, sits, befuddled.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
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In an industry often seduced by scale and swagger, Claire offers something far more enduring.—
Julie Lin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As Dead City grow beyond the outlaw punk scene, the entertainment industry is enticed yet wary of this genuinely divisive and chaotic band.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Barnes persuaded Imam and his new wife, Alice, to join the project in Steubenville, and the couple bought a house there in 2019.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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In fact, his ally House Speaker Mike Johnson persuaded him to take it down.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baited. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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