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
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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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baiting
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2025
The objectionable programs in that case were not the Republican-baiting precincts of late-night television but the social taboo-breaking entertainments of Three’s Company, All in the Family and Knots Landing.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
Consequently, Villa are not reaping the same success in baiting opponents into pressing them, before playing around the pressure and attacking the vacated space.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
What's remarkable is not just the specific policy suggestion itself—after all, federal force has been called in to assist state-level law enforcement plenty of times—but rather how Trump is once again baiting his political opponents into defending the indefensible.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
People argue about how much space a birder should give to its target, and whether baiting them with food is appropriate.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2025
Exclude ants by baiting them at the base of your specimen infested with the fungus or apply Vaseline to the trunk of the tree or branches of the shrub in a two-inch wide band.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Amazon is really baiting us to breakup with our iPads by offering 50% off the newest generation of their Fire tablet.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2025
The objectionable programs in that case were not the Republican-baiting precincts of late-night television but the social taboo-breaking entertainments of Three’s Company, All in the Family and Knots Landing.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
Consequently, Villa are not reaping the same success in baiting opponents into pressing them, before playing around the pressure and attacking the vacated space.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
What's remarkable is not just the specific policy suggestion itself—after all, federal force has been called in to assist state-level law enforcement plenty of times—but rather how Trump is once again baiting his political opponents into defending the indefensible.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
People argue about how much space a birder should give to its target, and whether baiting them with food is appropriate.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2025
Exclude ants by baiting them at the base of your specimen infested with the fungus or apply Vaseline to the trunk of the tree or branches of the shrub in a two-inch wide band.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baiting
Verb
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The ladies began going back and forth, taunting one another with ghost writer claims and star power.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Taylor knows that even after all this battle, Olivia still loves her idol’s music — taunting her with her complicated devotion.—
Zach Schiffman,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pricing must stay fair enough for casual fans yet tempting enough for collectors.—
Dmitrii Khasanov,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Our moments of uncanny convergence—like bumping into an old flame at the exact right (or wrong) time—function like indulgences did in the days of Martin Luther, tempting us in the promise of paradise.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As of this writing, there's no official trailer for Interview With the Vampire season 3, though AMC did drop a teaser teasing Lestat's life as a rock icon.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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Emerald Fennell is teasing her film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which garnered significant attention following the release of the trailer earlier this month.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the 1950s and 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for influence in Asia and Africa, packing their ideological visions in the guise of development, and luring modernizing Asian and African leaders with loans and technical assistance in dam building and hydraulics.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Portugal has been a hotspot for digital nomads, luring foreign remote workers with friendly visa policies, a better quality of life, and a lower cost of living.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Here are some of the less invasive procedures seducing Hollywood, as well as some of their most sought-after practitioners.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
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The drama follows Veneno (played by non-pro Víctor Miguel), a headstrong young drifter who survives by seducing truck drivers at 24-hour roadside diners called cachimbas.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Where internet trolls often come off as flippant or spiteful, there is a relentless sense of play and mastery of language in even McNally’s most needling posts.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Klopp still has a job in the game, as overseer of the Red Bull Group, which seems to consist of giving advice here and there, watching games, assessing potential signings and then persuading those signings to, erm, sign.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Sponsorship organizations seek donations by persuading people and groups that have, to lend financial support those who don’t have or have far less.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baiting. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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