sops 1 of 2

Definition of sopsnext
plural of sop
as in bribes
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

sops

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sop
1
2
3
as in dips
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid hesitant to sop his bread in gravy, no matter how delicious, at such a formal banquet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sops
Noun
  • The former head of the NYPD School Safety division attempted to steer lucrative city contracts to a Florida businessman in exchange for bribes that included cash payments, luxury hotel stays and Broadway tickets, federal officials said Thursday.
    Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Federal authorities alleged that the couple accepted around $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company in Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico City between 2014 and 2021.
    Connor Greene, Time, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Rain soaks everyone to the skin every day, yet no one remembers an umbrella.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Remove rust with steel wool, vinegar soaks, baking soda paste, or coarse salt scrubs.
    Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Sweat that can’t escape wets a jacket’s layer of insulation and accelerates heat loss.
    Longji Cui, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
  • But the comedy is absolutely something that wets my beak, I'm drawn to it.
    H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As each person approaches, McGowan dips into the center and comes out with a box.
    Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • When the sun dips, Deck 10 is where the magic happens.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Sixty years later, the Spectacle saturates us in ways the Situationists never imagined.
    Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • This gives your poinsettia a long, deep drink that saturates the roots without drowning them.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • First into his life comes Jessie involved in a shipwreck with her uncle, a past colleague of Mason’s, who drowns in a vicious storm and almost takes Jessie down with him before she is heroically rescued from near death by Mason, who brings her out of the drink and then back to life.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
  • What should be a fast minimum viable product (MVP) becomes a bloated prototype that delays launch and drowns out real user feedback.
    Renae Gregoire, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The indulgence becomes not only possible but mandatory with Lollia’s Kiss Me Again Bubble Bath solution, which drenches skin in moisture by way of high-performing olive and avocado oils.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Throughout Friday, temperatures are expected to fall as rain drenches the area.
    Lauren Caruba, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • As laundry expert Bree Uebergang explains, the key variations in the two cycles mainly comes down to the amount of agitation involved as the machine washes your items.
    Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
  • My one gripe with trench coats is that the tawny beige shade washes me out.
    Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sops. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on sops

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!