Synonyms of baiting

baiting 1 of 2

adjective

as in mocking

Related Words

• mocking
• taunting
• ridiculing
• needling
• heckling
• derisive
• jeering
• deriding
• hassling
• derisory
• sarcastic
• joking
• bandying
• kidding
• contemptuous
• razzing
• bantering
• fooling
• scornful
• rallying
• quipping
• quizzical
• joshing
• disdainful
• jesting
• ribbing
• chaffing
• funning

baiting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bait

1

as in taunting

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

• taunting
• teasing
• mocking
• bothering
• ridiculing
• heckling
• riding
• needling
• hassling
• annoying
• hazing
• torturing
• irritating
• making game of
• plaguing
• picking on
• trying
• pestering
• bullying
• goading
• jeering
• deriding
• testing
• badgering
• riling
• harassing
• gibing
• bugging
• troubling
• nettling
• spiting
• hounding
• tormenting
• dogging
• disturbing
• aggravating
• itching
• exasperating
• agitating
• griping
• grating
• burning (up)
• irking
• nagging
• ruffling
• persecuting
• vexing
• galling
• hacking (off)
• chafing
• piquing
• gnawing (at)
• narking
• getting
• fretting
• perturbing
• frosting
• browbeating
• hectoring
• bedeviling
• putting out
• terrorizing
• harrying
• rasping
• discomforting
• beleaguering
• peeving
• hagriding
• aggrieving

2

as in tempting

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

• tempting
• luring
• seducing
• persuading
• enticing
• decoying
• betraying
• soliciting
• trapping
• leading on
• alluring
• beguiling
• fascinating
• snaring
• entrapping
• drawing in
• enchanting
• inveigling
• ensnaring
• snowing
• meshing
• catching
• tangling
• roping (in)
• enmeshing
• charming
• captivating
• magnetizing
• bewitching
• wiling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• warning
• alerting
• cautioning
• warding (off)
• driving (away or off)
• turning away
• forewarning
• repulsing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of baiting

Verb

Below, in the second half of the same game, the two holding midfielders (yellow) and full-backs (white) both stay deep, baiting the press. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Better Than a Scammer Laurent Giovannoni is a principal software engineer at Filigran, a threat intelligence platform, and will present code for ScamBuster, a scam-baiting program designed to waste scammers’ time and energy. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026

Race-baiting narratives and professional victimhood have become staples of his brand. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Beasley had been baiting Preston’s jumper all night and playing mind games with other JHX Hoops members in between game action. — Latif Love july 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

While the competition ignited the box office in a world-class example of counterprogramming, the move was seen as baiting and antagonizing the director. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 July 2026

But baiting live sharks so tourists can watch them would be outlawed. — Kate Waxman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026

That led him to believe the platform was intentionally baiting him to stay online. — Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026

The problem with Fishback’s ideas is that many spring from rage-baiting rhetoric that has little to do with Florida’s current reality— but could attract people who might not otherwise vote. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026