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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After Tatis fouled off the next pitch, Flaherty did what a lot of pitchers will do to Tatis and tempted him with a slider that broke low and outside the zone.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026 -
Today, when architecture often seems tempted to retreat in the face of cascading crises, Gehry’s career suggests a different response.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The pair are chaos agents who, in conferring the benefit of sudden wealth, lure the recipients into corruption.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Court documents show the suspects allegedly lured a private driver, who was hired by Arnold, and his two associates to an apartment in Tampa.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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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Tommy disburses stuffings and sauces to hungry locals as the GIs seduced their grandmothers with Camels and nylon stockings.—
Dominic Green,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Paul Revere's engraving depicting the Boston Massacre was another example of using art to persuade people to the Revolutionary cause, Rudnick said.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Ever since the first caveman tricked his neighbor into trading a pile of rocks for some tasty mastodon steaks, con men have been persuading others to act against their own interests.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the open kitchen concept, with local produce and jars of pickles on display for guests to touch, taste, and smell, makes going off-menu just as enticing—just ask the chef for suggestions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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The synopsis, just like the film's title, fails to prepare viewers for the level of chaos the film brings, which Matarazzo says enticed him.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
31 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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