bribe 1 of 2

noun

ˈbrīb How to pronounce bribe (audio)
Definition of bribenext
as in incentive
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bribe

2 of 2

verb

as in to lure
to influence someone with a bribe meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bribe
Noun
Some of the contracts appear to have been padded to pay bribes to Diamantis. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026 These scandals, which included massive bribes and kickbacks on projects across the continent, contributed to a political crisis that, in 2016, ended Dilma Rousseff’s presidency and, in 2018, sent Lula to prison. — Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
The country’s largest wine and spirits distributor has entered into an agreement with federal prosecutors to resolve allegations that its executives and employees bribed alcohol retailers for favorable placement of certain products. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Lucienne, a mountain girl charmed by Ortiz, eased their passage by bribing the right gendarme. — Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribe
  1. incentive
  2. lure
  3. fix
  4. buy
  5. stimulus
  6. seduce
  7. motivation
  8. entice
Noun
  • Companies have plenty of incentives to make that advertising palatable to consumers, but Ireland believes ads will play a role one way or another.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The city of Mission ultimately pulled the plug on its tax incentives and threw out the redevelopment agreement.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of incentive
Verb
  • This is a different message his predecessor, Greg Norman, had in 2022 when LIV Golf launched by spending more than $1 billion to lure away stars who couldn't ignore the money.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than through a cold call or email, the scammers lure them through websites offering self-publishing or vanity publishing.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of lure
Noun
  • Six weeks, the equivalent of six months in AI processing time, passed before OpenAI’s leadership published a full technical explanation of the Hugging Face penetration and proposed necessary fixes.
    — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
  • For a caffeine fix paired with handmade confections, indulge in the Dolce Vita Afternoon Tea on weekends.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fix
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Crocs continues to generate strong free cash flow — $705 million in the last 12 months — and is using it to buy back shares.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bhusri is relying on a team of newer executives, including CFO Zane Rowe and Chief AI Officer Joel Hellermark, whose startup Sana Workday bought for more than $1 billion.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of buy
Noun
  • The Fed slashed its benchmark interest rate to near zero, but the economy still needed stimulus.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The leaders who are willing to pause between stimulus and response create sustainable change.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulus
Verb
  • Armani’s languid silhouette soon seduced red- and blue-blooded men the world over.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The second allows the devil to slide into his DMs, utilizing a seduce-and-destroy approach that will eventually lead to Sutskever becoming OpenAI’s resident Chicken Little and the tech industry’s conscientious objector.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of seduce
Noun
  • Rational motivations like eco-consciousness, economic pragmatism, and technophilia inform EV purchases.
    — Peter Gaston, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Cardellini was also intrigued by the chance to develop Pamela’s unique motivation throughout the series.
    — William Earl, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of motivation
Verb
  • But while Cartman and Ike are in Sephora, they get enticed into going into the backrooms with an employee, which look straight out of Kane Parsons’ horror film.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Some blame the content for not being enticing enough, while others contend that the programs could be promoted better on Netflix.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of entice

Browse Nearby Words

bribable
bribe
bribed
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Cite this Entry

“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribe. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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