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
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
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Terminix is widely considered the industry leader for termites due to their pioneering history, use of Sentricon baiting systems, and superior structural repair guarantees.
—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Senesi’s comfort under pressure before passing could prove crucial for De Zerbi’s press-baiting system to work.
—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Diners aren’t baiting first-bite TikTok reaction shots.
—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
One of the most well-known is Kitboga, a YouTube personality, scammer-baiting streamer, and the founder of an anti-scam software company.
—
Kim Key,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
The replies are mostly AI bots, or rage-baiting stan accounts.
—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
Never mind foul-baiting and load management, the hottest topics circling the NBA in 2026 are tanking and the opposite – trying too hard to win, allegedly, in the Clippers’ case.
—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
The city's Bureau of Rodent Control has around 20 baiting crews throughout Chicago during peak season, responding to more than 100,000 service requests per year.
—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
Terminix is widely considered the industry leader for termites due to their pioneering history, use of Sentricon baiting systems, and superior structural repair guarantees.
—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Senesi’s comfort under pressure before passing could prove crucial for De Zerbi’s press-baiting system to work.
—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Diners aren’t baiting first-bite TikTok reaction shots.
—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
One of the most well-known is Kitboga, a YouTube personality, scammer-baiting streamer, and the founder of an anti-scam software company.
—
Kim Key,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
The replies are mostly AI bots, or rage-baiting stan accounts.
—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
Never mind foul-baiting and load management, the hottest topics circling the NBA in 2026 are tanking and the opposite – trying too hard to win, allegedly, in the Clippers’ case.
—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
The city's Bureau of Rodent Control has around 20 baiting crews throughout Chicago during peak season, responding to more than 100,000 service requests per year.
—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baiting
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!
Verb
-
Some of the people in that group began taunting and jeering at the dancing men, some of whom were shirtless and wearing bathing suits.
-
Then Tate started openly taunting his accusers.
Verb
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The Casa Amor women are tasked with tempting the villa men to stray from their existing relationships while they are separated from the villa women for several days.
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Don't forget to check out our roundup of the best early Prime Day deals for even more savings across laptops, TVs, smart home gear, and everything else currently tempting my wallet.
Adjective
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Then, Metric’s peak came on 2009’s Fantasies, which paired needling electronics with thumping drum programming; both it and its follow-up, Synthetica, hit the top 10 on the Canadian albums chart and went platinum in Canada.
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For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.
Verb
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The pop singer has been teasing her return to music over the past few weeks with cryptic posts on social media featuring various images accompanied locations, dates and times.
-
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, took over as chief executive of Relativity a little more than a year ago, teasing new areas of focus such as orbital data centers, philanthropic space science ventures, and national security missions.
Verb
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Beyond the funds committed to the program, the ways in which new incentives allocate those dollars are applauded for luring productions to return.
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This has included perpetrators pretending to administer a survey in their car, posing as a social worker giving away free baby items at their home, accompanying victims to a doctor’s appointment at a nonexistent clinic, and luring them to fake baby showers.
Adjective
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Charles Barkley was once spitting mad at a heckling fan, and his expectoration wound up splashing on an 8-year-old girl.
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Reuters reported that BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who hosted the dinner of some 200 people as co-chair of the World Economic Forum, ended the dinner after the heckling incident — before dessert was served.
Verb
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That means seducing Paris Carver, Elliot's wife and Bond's ex, portrayed by Teri Hatcher.
-
Nate plays his older neighbors like a fiddle, seducing them with his beauty, money, and youth.
Cite this Entry
“Baiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baiting. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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