Synonyms of coax

coax

verb

ˈkōks 

as in to cajole

to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery

trying to coax their father into taking them on a ski trip, the teens mentioned what a great skier he is

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cajole
• lure
• seduce
• entice
• wheedle
• woo
• urge
• beg
• sweet-talk
• tempt
• blandish
• soft-soap
• palaver
• flatter
• charm
• massage
• blarney
• beseech
• wangle
• juggle
• importune
• overpraise
• finagle
• wile
• butter up
• adulate
• beguile
• cozen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tease
• harass
• bug
• intimidate
• cow
• require
• pester
• make
• compel
• coerce
• force
• nag
• bully
• browbeat
• demand
• constrain
• oblige
• bulldoze

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb coax differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of coax are blandish, cajole, soft-soap, and wheedle. While all these words mean "to influence or persuade by pleasing words or actions," coax implies gentle and persistent words or actions employed to produce a desired effect.

coaxed the cat out of the tree

When could blandish be used to replace coax?

The meanings of blandish and coax largely overlap; however, blandish implies a more open desire to win a person over by effusive praise and affectionate actions.

legislators blandished with promises of support

Where would cajole be a reasonable alternative to coax?

In some situations, the words cajole and coax are roughly equivalent. However, cajole suggests the deliberate use of flattery to persuade in the face of reluctance or reasonable objections.

cajoled him into cheating on the final exam

When is it sensible to use soft-soap instead of coax?

Although the words soft-soap and coax have much in common, soft-soap refers to using smooth and somewhat insincere talk usually for personal gain.

politicians soft-soaping eligible voters

In what contexts can wheedle take the place of coax?

The words wheedle and coax are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, wheedle suggests more strongly than cajole the use of seductive appeal or artful words in persuading.

hucksters wheedling her life's savings out of her

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of coax

So Brekke, a veteran teacher, uses facial expressions and hand gestures and body language and all manner of visuals to coax kids out of their protective shell. —Courtney Crowder, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025

While many developers at the time settled for simple beeps and boops, Williams coaxed naturalistic environmental sounds from the silicon that modern audio designers, working with gigabytes of sampled audio, would still appreciate. —ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2025

Nikola Jokic pump-faked from the top of the key, coaxing Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma’s right foot a step too high. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2025

Ingrid Bergman stars as Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a Nazi spy coaxed by T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to join a group of former Nazis living in South America, a group whose leaders include Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains), with whom Alicia has a history. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025

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