as in cajolery
a nice thing that someone says or does to persuade another to do something
He finally succumbed to his children's blandishments and allowed them to stay up past their bedtime.
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Recent Examples of blandishment
The fateful lane change arose out of one mayor’s resistance to such blandishments.
—
Ephrat Livni, Quartz, 7 May 2020
Her 2014 autobiography, A Fighting Chance, and recent stump speeches are festooned in pep club spirit and folksy blandishments, cloying bits of business that have attached themselves to her life story.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 13 Feb. 2020
The region’s main powers, Australia and New Zealand, fear the creation of a mendicant state on their doorsteps, susceptible, in particular, to Chinese bribes and blandishments.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
Having failed to win the Japanese around with blandishments, an increasingly desperate-looking Senard has reached for the stick.
—Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for blandishment
Ephrat Livni, Quartz, 7 May 2020
Her 2014 autobiography, A Fighting Chance, and recent stump speeches are festooned in pep club spirit and folksy blandishments, cloying bits of business that have attached themselves to her life story.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 13 Feb. 2020
The region’s main powers, Australia and New Zealand, fear the creation of a mendicant state on their doorsteps, susceptible, in particular, to Chinese bribes and blandishments.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
Having failed to win the Japanese around with blandishments, an increasingly desperate-looking Senard has reached for the stick.
—Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for blandishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blandishment
Noun
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The distressed tabletop exudes vintage charm, while the bottom slatted shelf prevents the piece from appearing too bulky.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
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Its aesthetic carefully balances historic charm with hints of modern design.—
Lennie Omalza,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Youngkin also echoed Vance’s urging of the GOP to focus on maintaining control of both chambers of Congress during this year’s midterm elections.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Jan. 2026
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The original design by Plescia received some subsequent improvement at the urging of Reisner.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In recent months, Europeans have mostly opted for diplomacy and flattery around him, even when seeking an end to the war in Ukraine.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement An alternative to flattery AI proposed by researchers from Harvard and the University of Montreal is antagonistic AI.—
Arianna Huffington,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That decision was prompted in no small part by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s entreaties to Trump.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Moscow is, so far, rebuffing its peace entreaties over Ukraine.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Checkers can see your shortcuts, your reportorial wheedling, your blind spots.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s exhortations to the oil industry dovetail with a broader push to address cost-of-living concerns weighing heavily on Republicans’ bid to maintain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
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In Queen Mother, Farmer takes a clear-eyed look at Moore’s foibles, noting her absenteeism during her son’s formative years, her embrace of patriarchal hierarchy in Black communities, and her exhortations for Black women to embrace polygyny to facilitate nation building.—
Dara T. Mathis,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Pushing, pulling and coaxing wins out of his team amid bleak situations is what Tomlin does.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Due to a positive audience response to the pairing, the writers retconned the scene as a seduction, rather than rape.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
22 Dec. 2025
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For years, Laura's rape was treated as a sort of seduction — until 1998 when Luke and Laura's son Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) finds out the dark history behind his parents' romance.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blandishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blandishment. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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