as in lured
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
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Recent Examples of bribed
When those efforts were ineffective, Roefaro bribed Taylor with tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments, between which Taylor issued a memo recommending the NYPD award the company a contract worth more than $11 million, according to the indictment.
—
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Some patients were bribed with cash or drugs, state officials have said.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors allege that developers bribed officials to expedite building permits and approve projects.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Some kids run at the sound of running water in the bathtub; others need to be bribed just to look at a vegetable.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 16 Jan. 2026
College basketball players were bribed to throw games and enrich sports gamblers during a recent period from September 2022 to February of last year.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2026
Either that or the wrong people had been bribed.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Allegations that Tran bribed a witness have jeopardized a series of murder cases in Oakland, led several high-ranking police leaders to be disciplined and leveled a blow to OPD’s timeline for exiting oversight.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2025
Members of Congress were bribed.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Some patients were bribed with cash or drugs, state officials have said.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors allege that developers bribed officials to expedite building permits and approve projects.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Some kids run at the sound of running water in the bathtub; others need to be bribed just to look at a vegetable.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 16 Jan. 2026
College basketball players were bribed to throw games and enrich sports gamblers during a recent period from September 2022 to February of last year.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2026
Either that or the wrong people had been bribed.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Allegations that Tran bribed a witness have jeopardized a series of murder cases in Oakland, led several high-ranking police leaders to be disciplined and leveled a blow to OPD’s timeline for exiting oversight.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2025
Members of Congress were bribed.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribed
Verb
-
That’s the recipe that apparently lured 15 skiers into the backcountry northwest of Lake Tahoe, where at least eight of the group died in a catastrophic avalanche, the deadliest in modern California history.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Party activists have said many grassroots Republicans lost money, while others were lured by ads on shows hosted by conservatives, including Erick Erickson, Hugh Hewitt, and the late Charlie Kirk.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Pine seduced Roper away from Corky [Roper’s fixer, played by Tom Hollander, who was killed off in season one].—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Employers have long offered housing assistance, particularly to higher-status workers or those who are being enticed to relocate to expensive areas.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
While the Super Bowl ad is for Cadillac F1, Apple is poised to be just as big a beneficiary, if viewers are enticed to check it out.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Both juries rejected a defense argument that Alkayyali was under the influence of sudden passion, and would have considered a term of two to 20 years if they were persuaded by the argument.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Renato Renner of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is not persuaded that resolving the conflict between the Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations solves all the problems.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maybe Presti could be tempted; maybe not.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 18,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Even if a frustrating change of plans isn’t really anyone’s fault, you might be tempted to take it as a personal slight.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This friend group is so poisoned.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In 2016, dozens of residents from a subdivision about 20 miles from the Boarmans’ home sued oil giant ConocoPhillips, alleging that years of improper oil field waste disposal had poisoned their drinking water.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shooter entered arena with two guns According to police, the shooter was a licensed gun owner and had a permit to carry out of Florida.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
For over a century, college football had regional identities.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But, if the release of the Epstein files has accomplished anything, it’s been to demonstrate how, on both sides of the Atlantic, systems corrupted by money are ripe for reform.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bribed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribed. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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