as in incentives
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 buys
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bribes
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
They were accused of paying bribes to secure Bella and Olivia Jade’s admission into the University of Southern California.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Their separation came five years after the couple were entangled in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud related to paying hundreds of thousands in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Financiers organized press offensives and enlisted top reporters as allies, offering lucrative jobs or outright bribes.
—Evan Hughes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Imperiale’s confessions also suggest that gang members had to pay bribes to Emirati officials.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Cederquist accepted a variety of bribes including inventory from the water company valued in the thousands of dollars; a $750 granite post and mailbox; a new driveway valued at over $10,000; and a snowblower valued at nearly $2,000.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Both Piñate and Vasquez are accused of paying more than $1 million in bribes to the former chairman of the Philippines’ Commission on Elections, Juan Andres Donato Bautista, 61, who is also named as a defendant in the indictment.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Thursday's indictment alleges that the Philippine bribes exceeded $1 million.
—Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
Chen kept ledgers of bribes, according to the indictment, and in 2019 a $3 million yacht was bought for a senior official in an unnamed foreign government.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
They were accused of paying bribes to secure Bella and Olivia Jade’s admission into the University of Southern California.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Their separation came five years after the couple were entangled in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud related to paying hundreds of thousands in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Financiers organized press offensives and enlisted top reporters as allies, offering lucrative jobs or outright bribes.
—Evan Hughes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Imperiale’s confessions also suggest that gang members had to pay bribes to Emirati officials.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Cederquist accepted a variety of bribes including inventory from the water company valued in the thousands of dollars; a $750 granite post and mailbox; a new driveway valued at over $10,000; and a snowblower valued at nearly $2,000.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Both Piñate and Vasquez are accused of paying more than $1 million in bribes to the former chairman of the Philippines’ Commission on Elections, Juan Andres Donato Bautista, 61, who is also named as a defendant in the indictment.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Thursday's indictment alleges that the Philippine bribes exceeded $1 million.
—Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
In one of the film’s most madcap and darkly comedic moments, Linda bribes her daughter with the promise of a pet hamster — who turns out to be a biter, desperate to escape its box.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribes
Noun
-
The incentives operate on a rolling basis to accommodate the industry’s unpredictable timelines.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In September, the Greek government announced new tax incentives designed to address the birth rate decline.—
Sarah McCammon,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Which means things could still get even more complicated if Paramount buys HBO Max before 2026, when Hollywood Arts makes its streaming debut.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Normington will appear in Episode 307 as Alaia Jade, a sensitive pop star who buys a convent in hopes of turning it into a recording studio.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One of the easiest fixes in personal finance is to put your savings to work in a high-yield account.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Based on those findings, the team came up with two simple but powerful fixes that are both compatible with existing chip fabrication techniques.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Modern’s intimate bar and restaurant lures both locals and travelers with high-quality cocktails and food.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Buford wanted to understand the psychology of what lures people – usually men – to feed into the violence inspired by a sporting event.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Everything about the scene seduces the viewer into what dining while traveling in the most luxurious fashion could be, and once was.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
-
In his youth, the blue-eyed Stamp was widely considered one of the most handsome men onscreen, and Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini used that to peculiar effect in Teorema (1968), casting the actor as a nameless and wordless visitor who seduces an entire household.—
Rhett Bartlett,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Absolute power corrupts absolutely.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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With showy wine-red blossoms that perfume the garden with the distinctive aromas of chocolate and vanilla from mid-summer through fall, chocolate cosmos entices butterflies and curious gardeners alike.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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The structure is illustrated below, with one player positioned on the byline and another level with the penalty area to form a triangle that entices opponents out to defend.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Daniel also has and continues to be involved in podcasting at the newspaper.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
5 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, Emerald has no need for men, using a sperm donor to create her perfect family of high-achieving triplets.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bribes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribes. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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