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
Clateman, who has scraggly chops, a patterned scarf wrapped around his neck, and a gray button-up—like a hippie dressed up for Picture Day—coaxes her into talking.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
The louche festivities provoke dangerous gamesmanship, and scenes with a jazz band and a lively singer (Sophie Oliver) capture the evening’s reckless spirit, as Hedda coaxes couples onto the dance floor and then struts and sashays among and between them.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
After ordering his security detail to cut the feed on all his cameras, Prater captures Harrison at gunpoint and coaxes Dexter to return to the wine room.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Across the galaxy, stars are born in immense clouds of gas and dust — stellar nurseries where gravity coaxes material to coalesce and ignite.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Always an adept director of actors, Donzelli coaxes a good turn out of Bouillon (Leave One Day), who plays a man with strong principles but pretty weak strategies about how to enact them.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
The louche festivities provoke dangerous gamesmanship, and scenes with a jazz band and a lively singer (Sophie Oliver) capture the evening’s reckless spirit, as Hedda coaxes couples onto the dance floor and then struts and sashays among and between them.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
After ordering his security detail to cut the feed on all his cameras, Prater captures Harrison at gunpoint and coaxes Dexter to return to the wine room.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Across the galaxy, stars are born in immense clouds of gas and dust — stellar nurseries where gravity coaxes material to coalesce and ignite.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Always an adept director of actors, Donzelli coaxes a good turn out of Bouillon (Leave One Day), who plays a man with strong principles but pretty weak strategies about how to enact them.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coaxes
Verb
-
In one of the most harrowing scenes in the movie, a drunken Douglas Springsteen cajoles a young Bruce into a bedroom slapping game that begins to border on genuine physical abuse.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 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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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
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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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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
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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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Having overlooked many of her own symptoms, Farrington urges people to listen to their body and recognize when something doesn’t seem right.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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The ad urges members and supporters to join the NRA’s bid to fight back in the congressional midterm elections, where it is expected that Democrats will make a national push for an assault weapons ban like the one former President Bill Clinton instituted in 1994.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Victor quickly apologizes for his past cruelty and begs the Creature for his forgiveness in the film’s final few moments.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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That begs the question of whether the Rockets need to upgrade at point guard, given their championship expectations.—
Ricardo Sandoval,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coaxes. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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