as in tempting
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of leading on
Off the back of a super five years for video game IP, Ampere searched through the gaming archives leading on eight key characteristics to come up with its list.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
Formichetti has previously held roles at Mugler, Diesel and Uniqlo, leading on artistic and creative direction.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
America, after years of leading on tech and economic growth, is cutting itself off from global trade to protect manufacturing jobs few actually want to do.
—Renaud Foucart, Time, 28 Sep. 2025
That’s what leading on the ground looks like.
—Raja Walia, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Ramps leading on and off the interstate.
—Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2025
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
Formichetti has previously held roles at Mugler, Diesel and Uniqlo, leading on artistic and creative direction.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
America, after years of leading on tech and economic growth, is cutting itself off from global trade to protect manufacturing jobs few actually want to do.
—Renaud Foucart, Time, 28 Sep. 2025
That’s what leading on the ground looks like.
—Raja Walia, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Ramps leading on and off the interstate.
—Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leading on
Verb
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Choosing safer plants, securing the tree and keeping tempting items out of reach can help ensure the season stays festive for everyone, including the four-legged members of the family.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
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Fill your plate with healthier fare such as raw vegetables, shrimp cocktail and fresh fruit so there's less room for the higher-calorie dishes that are tempting you.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The archiving, and the exhibits that sometimes result, serve the dual purpose of not just saving the materials but also luring people back to Modulightor.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
13 Jan. 2026
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In many cases, a school's financial resources became more important to luring talent than its on-field tradition.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In Arthur Penn’s 1975 neo-noir Night Moves, Griffith is Delly Grastner, a 16-year-old runaway with a little girl’s voice and a grown woman’s body—on full display in an underwater nude scene—intent on seducing Gene Hackman, 43 and paunchy.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
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The video featured a tired Madonna running into a mysterious man and woman in a hotel hallway, with the two seducing the singer into a night together, done as a tribute to the 1963 French film Bay of Angels, which starred Jeanne Moreau.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Spector told me that, when customers abandon an item in their shopping cart, WhatsApp is six times more effective than e-mail at persuading people to complete their purchases.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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Tsunetomo referred to the example of Nakano Shōgen, who brought peace after persuading his lord, Mitsushige, to apologize for not paying proper respect to certain families within the clan.—
Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leading on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leading%20on. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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