as in to tempt
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
the hunter lured the lion into the open with the antelope carcass
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in temptation
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
the promise of easy money is always the lure for some people to play the lottery good schools are a lure for prospective home buyers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bait
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
the fish simply didn't seem to like the lure I was using, so I didn't catch a thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seduction
the act or pressure of giving in to a desire especially when ill-advised
the lure of the video game was distracting me from my studies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lure
Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Don’t get lured into any vans by strange men promising candy.
—Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 May 2025
And after Trump’s attempts to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, the lure of the White House is waning.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lure
Verb
McDonald's has seen sluggish sales as diners reduce restaurant spending, and has tried to lure consumers back with deals.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Don’t get lured into any vans by strange men promising candy.
—Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
Noun
But right now, even while battling down the order and failing to score points, the lure of 2026 and Aston’s potential future results, particularly with Newey on board, continue to spur Alonso on.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 May 2025
And after Trump’s attempts to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, the lure of the White House is waning.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lure
Verb
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But Phoenix ultimately wasn’t tempted by a package of Wiggins, Rozier, Jaquez, Highsmith and the 20th pick.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2025
-
Don’t be tempted to eat them straight off of the cookie sheet—this is the hardest part of making this recipe.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
The Monist Trap: A temptation for leaders is to go a for a simple message, that is easy to remember but plays on a limited set of values.—
HEC Paris Insights,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
Eurydice, like these other works, seems to be imploring us to live, to love, to remember—but so acute is the pain of loss that the temptation to forget is strong, and so artists keep revisiting it, keep testing the waters.—
Pamela Newton
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
If not for Thompson's breakout this past season, the Rockets might not have been emboldened to cut bait on Green and accelerate their win-now window.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Using her own relapse as bait, Bree managed to coax Sanchez back into his own past drug addiction to protect her family, inadvertently causing his death by overdose.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Francis Fox, pedophile, is a smug, deceitful middle school English teacher, practiced in the art of seduction and the rewards and punishment psychology of B.F. Skinner.—
Heather Scott Partington,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2025
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Meanwhile, new technologies continue to flood in, each offering the seduction of speed.—
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Verb
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The first classic of the summer noir genre is no doubt René Clément’s adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley about a young American upstart who travels to Italy and murders a wealthy socialite before stealing his identity and seducing his wife.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
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She was also found guilty of disorderly conduct for supposedly trying to seduce an undercover policewoman named Margaret Leonard, who’d been assigned to entrap her.—
Kellie B. Gormly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
Noun
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This prompted the lawmaker to question why someone would want to run away from these incentives and avoid detection.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2025
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While American pharmaceutical development exhibits signs of institutional sclerosis, China’s system demonstrates the power of aligned incentives, streamlined processes, and strategic coordination between regulatory bodies, research institutions, and industry players.—
Greg Licholai MD,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Each tune has its own momentum, with several of them enticing audiences and exciting them for his sophomore album American Heart, which arrives tomorrow (Friday, June 20).—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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Netflix may entice its subscribers to chill, but the global streamer is working on new offerings and deals to future-proof its content lineup and business.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Budget-friendly movie houses known as nickelodeons became a favorite attraction for urban dwellers in the first two decades of the 20th century.—
Timeka Tounsel,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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The city is open to ideas on how best to turn the little park into a big attraction.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lure. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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