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sops 1 of 2

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

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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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sops
Noun
  • The officials allegedly collected bribes to allow passage of drugs through Venezuela.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • In the Oakland case, prosecutors say Thao accepted bribes from the Duongs in the form of political favors and a $95,000 no-show job for Jones.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • That natural setting soaks into the music.
    Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The fields, the pints and the football largely look the same in both Iowa and Wisconsin, and the beer soaks the palate of life along the Driftless beer highway.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But the comedy is absolutely something that wets my beak, I'm drawn to it.
    H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Watering from above also wets the foliage, which can lead to fungal diseases or powdery mildew on a mum's leaves.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The seven-mile Torreya Challenge Loop steadily climbs and dips, meandering over creeks, an old forest road, and blackberry brambles, following a ridge where mountain laurels bloom in the spring and visitors can find the steepest incline in the park.
    Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
  • When staffing dips, the pressure mounts.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The result is a geomagnetic storm that amplifies the ionospheric and radio disruptions caused by flares and saturates the radiation belts surrounding Earth to such an extent that new belts can suddenly form.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The deal marks the latest major investment by AT&T to accelerate its fiber and 5G network build-out as the wireless market saturates and internet usage surges.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • About once a year, someone drowns.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
  • On the same day that Ebun’s beloved cousin Monife drowns, Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi.
    Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • On Girl Violence, Strauss drenches her songs in feedback and languor, adding heat to her expressions of desire and comfort to her feelings of anxiety.
    Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Accents include custom furnishings, abstract expressionism art, wallcoverings inspired by traditional Italian craft paper, bas-relief plaster wall art and mood lighting that drenches the room in sunset shades.
    Melinda Sheckells, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Another agreed, comparing them to their Spanx AirEssentials set, but saying this one washes better.
    Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
  • To start with a wedding, then wait ’til later to figure out the details of who washes the dishes and whether the toilet seat stays down, sounds backwards but is certainly better than hostage-taking and war without an achievable end.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
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.

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“Sops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sops. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

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