as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
a con man whose dupes are usually led on by their own greed and eagerness to turn an easy buck
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lead on
Verb
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Some in the West will be tempted to see this as the generals’ chickens coming home to roost.—
Mihir Sharma,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026 -
Caregivers may be tempted to let kids win or even cheat to avoid meltdowns and tantrums.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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New owners Laura and Tim Schneider hope the reborn paper can aid in the community’s recovery by sharing information on the rebuilding process and luring residents and businesses back.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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An intelligence report presented to Kenya’s Parliament last month by majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah said Kenyan and Russian government officials colluded with recruitment agencies to lure Kenyans to the front lines.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bale has the more interesting role as the youth who at first chooses Hitler out of expedience, but then becomes seduced by power and status.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
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Waugh walks around with a newfound swagger, playing hooky, drinking heavily, even seducing a woman at his local.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While working there, Anderson persuaded Burkle to provide him with $100,000 in seed capital to launch his lobbying firm Platinum Advisors, according to the complaint filed by Burkle’s company.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Wellington said the victim was persuaded to convert assets into gold and provided it to individuals who posed as couriers.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Players from all over were enticed by the Raiders, who opened up the coffers to land key free agent additions, including linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Milestone said the weak snowfall and comparatively mild winter may entice some climbers to try to ascend the peak early.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lead on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lead%20on. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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