baited

verb

past tense of bait
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of baited Southampton’s first game of the season was at Watford, whose fans baited Eckert’s team. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 In our testing, a paper-funnel trap baited with overripe fruit and fruit-forward vinegar consistently caught the most flies. — Emma Jacobson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026 Some programs investigate complaints by setting small surveillance traps—often baited with light, carbon dioxide, water, or another attractant—to collect mosquitoes, identify the species, and gauge where activity is concentrated. — Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Aug. 2026 The federal agency detailed removal efforts on its website, including traps baited with eggs and trackers to lure tegus and study their movements. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026 Spurs center Victor Wembanyama baited Towns and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson into fouls. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 There are baited Japanese beetle traps, but research at the University of Kentucky shows that the traps attract many more beetles than are actually caught. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baited
  1. taunted
  2. tempted
  3. teased
  4. lured
  5. mocked
  6. seduced
  7. enticed
  8. persuaded
Verb
  • The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced an investigation after Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves appeared to be taunted by the chants during their away league win on Saturday.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The rivalry between the two stars dates back to the 2023 NCAA women’s national championship game, when Reese's LSU Tigers defeated Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes and Reese famously, and without class, taunted Clark in the closing moments.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of taunted
Verb
  • You may be tempted to edit the interesting parts out before anyone can judge them.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The podcast, launched in 2024 and followed by more than 225,000 people on Instagram, is both for those tempted by the allure of quick cash and for those who need convincing to course-correct.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of tempted
Verb
  • As of now, On does not sell soccer boots, although Mbappé has already teased a prototype in matches.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Audrey Niffenegger has long teased the sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife, featuring Clare and Henry’s Chrono-Displaced daughter Alba and her two husbands—Oliver, a time traveler like her, and Zach, existing in linear time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of teased
Verb
  • Other recent charges have alleged that hundreds of investors were lured in by claims private fund advisers could grant them access to companies including Anduril, Anthropic, Perplexity, and others as valuations have skyrocketed.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Read full review The property’s lush serenity and peerless privacy has lured its share of celebrity guests (Julia Roberts, the Obamas) to this dramatic jungle setting.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lured
Verb
  • Nike’s experimented with other applications such as mules and tennis shoes, but the results were mocked if not downright disastrous.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update mocked Donald Trump‘s actions while hosting his Chinese counterpart for a three-day state visit, as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s transphobic military mantra.
    — William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of mocked
Verb
  • If Gayle Newland had been a cis man who had seduced Miss X by pretending to be Kye Fortune, the case would have fallen outside the McNally principle, and Miss X would have had very little chance of having her complaint heard.
    — S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Many have taken up such invitations, seduced by the island’s stress-free, go-slow rhythm.
    — Michelle Jana Chan, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of seduced
Verb
  • Anyone with a console can watch it, which enticed the comedian.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • While Bryan the Medical Courier may not be a marquee attraction, Abrams plays his bumbling so hilariously yet relatably that some kids may be enticed.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of enticed
Verb
  • The scammers effectively isolated her and persuaded her not to communicate with anyone who might have interrupted the scheme.
    — Angela Ramos, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In other business, Planning and Development Director Tom Cherry persuaded the RDC to postpone seeking bids for demolition of the former Garyton School, a costly endeavor.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of persuaded

Browse Nearby Words

bait and switches
baited
baiter
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Cite this Entry

“Baited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baited. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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