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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You’d have been tempted to say it was meant to be.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026 -
Alternatively, you may be tempted to toss items that could have some monetary value.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Last week, the prosecution showed the jurors chilling video and audio evidence that included Athena’s last moments after Horner lured her inside the FedEx van.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
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Red-hot demand for server products has lured memory suppliers into concentrating on the high-speed processors for those machines.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every summer, stylish crowds congregate along France’s southeastern shores, seduced by the glamorous promise of the French Riviera, spending their days sipping overpriced cocktails at the high-end resorts that line its sandy beaches as if plucked straight from a Slim Aarons photo.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2026
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To speak in verse is to tease, to cajole, to seduce, all actions that suggest an excess of desire.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Somehow the estate managed to persuade HBO to come to an amicable settlement.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the end, county officials were persuaded to act.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His frame and traits are enticing.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Office renovations and conversions in Charlotte Post-COVID, office towers have to either entice people to come back to the cubicle or change uses.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 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 29 Apr. 2026.
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