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
Relevance
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.
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Recent Examples of bribe
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Frank Carone agreed to accept bribes from Zhu and Chen, funneled through Anthony Carone, in exchange for steering a multimillion-dollar contract to house migrants at their Long Island City hotel, the indictment alleges.
—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
The indictment maintains that, as part of a criminal enterprise, Jones and Dowling carried out a large-scale covert scheme between 2010 and 2021 to bribe state officials and to illegally advance FirstEnergy's financial interests alongside their own.
—
CBS News,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Noun
Abdikerm Eidleh Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks after instructing restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement.
—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Frank Carone agreed to accept bribes from Zhu and Chen, funneled through Anthony Carone, in exchange for steering a multimillion-dollar contract to house migrants at their Long Island City hotel, the indictment alleges.
—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Verb
Andrew openly discussed bribing law-enforcement officials in War Room chats, and bragged on social media about his connections.
—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
The indictment maintains that, as part of a criminal enterprise, Jones and Dowling carried out a large-scale covert scheme between 2010 and 2021 to bribe state officials and to illegally advance FirstEnergy's financial interests alongside their own.
—
CBS News,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribe
Noun
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The state has also earmarked $1 billion in incentives to lure the Chicago Bears to Hammond.
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The president’s willingness to offer sanctions relief and other incentives will need to be part of an eventual deal.
Verb
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Police say the violence on Sydney’s streets is being orchestrated from abroad – and teenagers are being lured into the complex web of gang warfare with the promise of fast cash.
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According to an overseas report by BasketNews, Denver’s backup center is prepared to sign a contract with the Lithuanian Euro League team Zalgiris Kaunas — an unsurprising development after Panathinaikos tried to lure him away from the NBA after the Nuggets traded for him last summer.
Noun
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File Explorer is getting lots of bug fixes and updates to improve its stability.
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Three structural fixes would convert most opposition into grudging acceptance, and even a meaningful share of that opposition into active support.
Verb
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For the superstar whose private jet is tracked, whose every appearance is documented and whose movements become global headlines within minutes, an arena transformed into a private world may be the closest thing to privacy that money can buy.
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Douek swooped in to buy the iconic sign, with the proceeds going to World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit that provides food relief.
Noun
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China also engineered a massive government stimulus package to stabilize its economy.
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Central banks thought that forward guidance, particularly when interest rates were very low, could provide additional market stimulus.
Verb
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The writer thinks that the person seducing the main character is just some flotsam, hardly worth a second look.
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Blyth was nominated in the supporting role as Mildred's spoiled daughter, Veda, who seduces her mother's second husband (Zachary Scott), then riddles him with bullets in a jealous rage.
Noun
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Research from Hilton found that 56% of global travelers cite rest and recharge as their number one motivation for leisure travel in 2026.
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Gendreau says other common signs of deficiency include muscle weakness, low motivation, and low energy.
Verb
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Obviously, Donnie being over there was enticing to me.
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For American diners of diverse backgrounds, chop suey struck an enticing balance between novelty and decipherability, which propelled it to national popularity even as the US government moved to exclude Chinese laborers from entering the country in 1882.
Cite this Entry
“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribe. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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