as in cajoles
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
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Recent Examples of coaxes
The shell is formed through stamping and laser-cutting, a process that coaxes aluminum sheets into the collection signature rounded curves without sacrificing structural integrity.
—
John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Pig-butchering scams, in which a stranger pretends to befriend you and then coaxes you into putting money into a cryptocurrency scam, don’t involve that same act now urgency.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
Rivilis also coaxes confident, naturalistic performances from her non-professional cast, who largely improvised their dialogue, making this a good fit for festivals with young audiences.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 May 2026
This is very far from the truth, as Alamo coaxes Maddy into a deeply uncomfortable conversation in his hot tub, underlining the uneven power dynamic.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Jonathan Karis, an alumnus of Gramercy Tavern, takes the season’s bounty and coaxes it into its fullest expression — home cooking at its most virtuosic.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
That’s perhaps for the best, given the ongoing discussions surrounding AI psychosis, a troubling trend that has caused an alarming wave of mental health crises as the tech coaxes some users into spirals of paranoid and delusional behavior.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Amid these absurdities, Manuel coaxes out the cruelty of the resort’s hierarchies.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
After all, the way FanDuel coaxes a prediction customer onto its online sportsbook or icasino will look very different from Robinhood working to persuade a predictions trader to try trading equities.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Pig-butchering scams, in which a stranger pretends to befriend you and then coaxes you into putting money into a cryptocurrency scam, don’t involve that same act now urgency.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
Rivilis also coaxes confident, naturalistic performances from her non-professional cast, who largely improvised their dialogue, making this a good fit for festivals with young audiences.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 May 2026
This is very far from the truth, as Alamo coaxes Maddy into a deeply uncomfortable conversation in his hot tub, underlining the uneven power dynamic.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Jonathan Karis, an alumnus of Gramercy Tavern, takes the season’s bounty and coaxes it into its fullest expression — home cooking at its most virtuosic.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
That’s perhaps for the best, given the ongoing discussions surrounding AI psychosis, a troubling trend that has caused an alarming wave of mental health crises as the tech coaxes some users into spirals of paranoid and delusional behavior.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Amid these absurdities, Manuel coaxes out the cruelty of the resort’s hierarchies.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
After all, the way FanDuel coaxes a prediction customer onto its online sportsbook or icasino will look very different from Robinhood working to persuade a predictions trader to try trading equities.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coaxes
Verb
-
Emily cajoles Sylvie into a meeting with Nico and Marcello.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Guardiola, usually a manager who passionately cajoles his players on the sidelines, cut a far more demure figure in the second half.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In a European women’s football ecosystem that still relies predominantly on the beneficence of men’s football, Kang’s bullishness to put her money where her mouth is naturally entices.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
This fast-growing shrub entices pollinators and birds and is deer and rabbit resistent.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
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The victim of his sacrifice is Gretchen, a virgin whom Faust seduces and abandons in his devilish reverie, and who kills their illegitimate child.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kee's, a 71-seat neo-bistro, lures both locals and guests for European-meets-Pan-Asian cooking.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The taco de camarón is what lures diners and keeps them returning.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Australia has advised citizens not to transit through countries including the United Arab Emirates, while Canada continues to advise against all travel to the UAE and the United States urges travelers to reconsider travel to the country.—
Melanie Swan,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
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Curcio urges anyone who may have known Freese or his family to call him at 954-321-4212 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app.—
Kairi Lowery,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Mercury’s clash with Neptune begs you to hold off on signing on the dotted line.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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While Huang may be doing his best to share Nvidia’s profits with its employees, the much wider picture begs the question of how massive investments into AI might reinforce existing wealth inequality.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coaxes. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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