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
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
That’s a tall order after expanding a literary world once, but doing it twice without baiting catastrophe is exponentially harder.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
The disease was deeply contagious and caused horrific suffering to those afflicted, so public assemblies—like theater shows and bear-baiting fights—were frequently canceled to help slow the spread.
—Nathan Smith, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
If someone comes out with an album that's influenced by ‘70s rock, why is that person not nostalgia baiting?
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Realizing that Grok is now prone to praising Musk as superior in every respect, X users have taken to baiting it with increasingly ridiculous prompts.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025
For reasons not entirely or even mostly of her own doing, Sweeney has become an exasperating celebrity — not above baiting the press, but so painstakingly media trained that her public appearances are devoid of substance and any sense of personality.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
People who are deaf or blind or veterans who have been declared 100% disabled, are eligible for special Independence hunts that allow baiting.
—Georgea Kovanis, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
These areas are under carcass transportation and baiting restrictions to monitor and contain CWD, officials said.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Start with uncovered cups, then increase difficulty by baiting only some cups to encourage scent work.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
That’s a tall order after expanding a literary world once, but doing it twice without baiting catastrophe is exponentially harder.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
The disease was deeply contagious and caused horrific suffering to those afflicted, so public assemblies—like theater shows and bear-baiting fights—were frequently canceled to help slow the spread.
—Nathan Smith, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
If someone comes out with an album that's influenced by ‘70s rock, why is that person not nostalgia baiting?
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Realizing that Grok is now prone to praising Musk as superior in every respect, X users have taken to baiting it with increasingly ridiculous prompts.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025
For reasons not entirely or even mostly of her own doing, Sweeney has become an exasperating celebrity — not above baiting the press, but so painstakingly media trained that her public appearances are devoid of substance and any sense of personality.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
People who are deaf or blind or veterans who have been declared 100% disabled, are eligible for special Independence hunts that allow baiting.
—Georgea Kovanis, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
These areas are under carcass transportation and baiting restrictions to monitor and contain CWD, officials said.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baiting
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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Another child care center director recounted how vehicles full of taunting men have driven by more than once.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2026
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Seattle Seahawks defensive back Tariq Woolen was fined $17,398 Saturday for a taunting penalty during the NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the most transformative (and perhaps) tempting storyline of 2026 unfolds from within.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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Instead of women tempting men with vice, now the great fear is that women will tempt men with virtue.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Alongside the tape, the UK artist has also begun teasing a new album, Terrified.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 Jan. 2026
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Hana can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her, even teasing her.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both Kelly and Landfair were adamant about their love, and a 17-year-old Landfair was so deep under her abuser’s spell that her parents had no hope of successfully luring her away from Kelly.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
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If the crisp, cold weather is luring you into a secluded, comfortable hideaway, Amazon’s tiny home collection is a good place to start.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Glaser was at her best when needling awards-show tropes.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
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He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the complaint, which was first filed in September in a North Carolina state court, plaintiff Heather Ammel accused Sinema of seducing her ex-husband Matthew Ammel, who began working for Sinema in April 2022 as part of her security detail.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
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In Arthur Penn’s 1975 neo-noir Night Moves, Griffith is Delly Grastner, a 16-year-old runaway with a little girl’s voice and a grown woman’s body—on full display in an underwater nude scene—intent on seducing Gene Hackman, 43 and paunchy.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2026
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Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baiting. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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