as in tempts
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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Recent Examples of leads on
The New York Yankees blew two leads on in Game 2 on Wednesday night before Austin Wells delivered a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the Bronx Bombers to a 4-3 victory and a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night.
—
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Assistant coach Eddie Riemer, Farke admits, leads on this discipline, but as part of a wider team effort.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
In the popular television series Teen Wolf, Cho was one of the only Asian American leads on a teen drama during that time period.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Assistant coach Eddie Riemer, Farke admits, leads on this discipline, but as part of a wider team effort.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
In the popular television series Teen Wolf, Cho was one of the only Asian American leads on a teen drama during that time period.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leads on
Verb
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Unwind Along the Coast Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, tempts with spice tours, rooftop cocktails, and sunset dhow sails.—
Karin Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Sep. 2025
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The device contains, among other things, doorways to other dimensions, including one that tempts Peacemaker with a seemingly storybook version of his broken family.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
22 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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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 poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Cherry persuades Harriet to publicly expose Laura, to talk to journalists and manufacture a viral story.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 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
Cite this Entry
“Leads on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leads%20on. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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