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
Relevance
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
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
18 June 2026
Beyond the funds committed to the program, the ways in which new incentives allocate those dollars are applauded for luring productions to return.
—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
18 June 2026
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
While most of them are completely fair game to use in every state when paired with an artificial lure, people are often surprised to learn that this is not always the case when fishing with live or natural dead bait.
—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lure
Verb
Emirates and Etihad have started offering insurance to travelers, in an effort to lure them back at a time when governments around the world still advise against non-essential travel to the region.
—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
18 June 2026
Beyond the funds committed to the program, the ways in which new incentives allocate those dollars are applauded for luring productions to return.
—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
18 June 2026
Noun
The lure of gambling is everywhere now that almost every major sports league has financial relationships with betting companies.
—
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
While most of them are completely fair game to use in every state when paired with an artificial lure, people are often surprised to learn that this is not always the case when fishing with live or natural dead bait.
—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lure
Verb
-
You may be tempted to make your way down to the beach at the bottom, but beware!
-
The whirlwind three-hour tour took us into the heart of the city, first to Mısır Çarşısı, or the Egyptian Bazaar, filled with aromatic spices and tempting Turkish delight, then to the stunning Rüstem Pasha Mosque, which was built in 1561.
Noun
-
Feuchuk cautions against the temptation to compensate by extracting more revenue from existing members.
-
Sports Minister Marie Barsacq urged caution, warning against swimming in unauthorized or hazardous areas despite the temptation to cool off.
Noun
-
CEOs accepted the bait with little sign of actual entrepreneurship.
-
Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.
Noun
-
There is no grand seduction scene.
-
The seduction of despair can be intense, whether on the personal or the political level.
Verb
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One class in, and Hannah is thoroughly seduced both by Melanie’s flattery and by her therapyspeak approach to acting, with its talk of truth-telling and connecting to one’s body.
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Young women being preyed upon and seduced by rapacious Hollywood producers, stars and studio heads is a tired cliché, but like all clichés, it is based on reality.
Noun
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And given that such systems are physically possible, powerful economic and strategic incentives exist for technologists and entrepreneurs to build them.
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The money is an incentive granted by the city after working more than 20 years to attract a builder with a project appropriate for the property, which was cleared decades earlier for redevelopment.
Verb
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Obviously, Donnie being over there was enticing to me.
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For American diners of diverse backgrounds, chop suey struck an enticing balance between novelty and decipherability, which propelled it to national popularity even as the US government moved to exclude Chinese laborers from entering the country in 1882.
Noun
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Food and drink, of course, are among the attractions of a New Orleans journey, and the superb offerings at the hotel—under the direction of Executive Chef Dario Montelvere, a Robb Report culinary master—reflect the city’s heritage, from regional cuisine and local seafood to steakhouse dishes.
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The puzzle-centric attraction features more than 60 physical, mental and locked-room challenges.
Cite this Entry
“Lure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lure. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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