as in to coax
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
she can sweet-talk her besotted boyfriend into just about anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in butter
excessive praise
enough of this sweet talk—just give me your honest opinion of my performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of sweet-talk
Sara Netzley, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Instead of sweet-talking your way out of a parking ticket, admit your mistake and pay the fine.
—Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024
John Benson, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
Cuban boleros, street-corner sweet talk, Mexican songs, Frank Sinatra ballads, and Frankie Laine melodramas . . .
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for sweet-talk
Verb
That night, Mel watches in delight as Jack sweet-talks Charmaine’s twins.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Instead of sweet-talking your way out of a parking ticket, admit your mistake and pay the fine.
—Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
During the ride to the police station, the driver was trying to sweet talk the officer into not arresting him and instead letting his wife pick him up.
—John Benson, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
Cuban boleros, street-corner sweet talk, Mexican songs, Frank Sinatra ballads, and Frankie Laine melodramas . . .
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for sweet-talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweet-talk
Verb
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Yes, a Bernie Sanders voter shot Rep. Steve Scalise, but Sanders always condemns political violence and is not a gun nut coaxing it in his public life.—
Mark Green,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
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About half that time was spent in near silence as auctioneer Max Fawcett, head of Christie’s Geneva jewelry department, coaxed two phone bidders to increase their bids from $8.1 million to the final hammer price of $9.5 million, as seen through Christie’s livestream of the sale.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Although not a traditional Italian dish, Alfredo sauce is made of butter, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, pasta water, and seasoning.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
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To make these vegan, use nondairy butter, a liquid egg replacement such as Just Egg, and nondairy mozzarella and Parmesan.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
Noun
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People should wash any skin that comes into contact with the slurry with water and soft soap, before using a hand cream to avoid dryness and cracking.—
Lauren Penington,
The Denver Post,
2 Sep. 2024
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Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2024
Noun
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While Monster Hunter Wilds received a lot of praise at launch, the longer-term fortunes of the game four months later have been dismal.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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Our challenge is to savor the good—maybe even create a special folder in your email to archive all of the praise—while putting the unhelpful criticism in a little black box in the back of your mind and throwing away the key.—
Maris Kreizman
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Noun
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And there was no such thing as being violated by a man with means: that was a form of flattery.—
Alexis Okeowo,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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Trump has praised the warming Qatar-Saudi Arabia relationship and showered flattery on his hosts.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Someone is then shot with a harpoon, only to have their guts pulled like taffy from the wound.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2025
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Boucher was on the hunt for Abba-Zaba, a chewy taffy bar with a real peanut butter center.—
Jessica Ma,
Sacramento Bee,
20 July 2024
Noun
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The British American royal and entrepreneur, 43, shared a behind-the-scenes teaser for her lifestyle brand, which launched in April to fan acclaim, in an Instagram post June 23.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
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Understanding how shy Jones was, Morrison joined her for interviews and used her own literary capital (Sula had recently appeared to acclaim) to advocate for her work.—
Clint Smith,
The Atlantic,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sweet-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweet-talk. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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