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
Relevance
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sweet-talk
Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Forget the old myths about dressing up or sweet-talking your way to the front.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024
When things aren’t working on a practical level, though, no amount of sweet talk can cover that up.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sweet-talk
Verb
Hanks takes a detour from his traditional nice guy roles to sleaze it up as the hard-drinking, sweet-talking Wilson, and that alone is worth a watch.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Forget the old myths about dressing up or sweet-talking your way to the front.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Noun
Just in case that gave Reba a leg up, don't let her sweet talk you.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024
When things aren’t working on a practical level, though, no amount of sweet talk can cover that up.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sweet-talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweet-talk
Verb
-
In the premium tier are Royal Caribbean and the adults-only Virgin Voyages, which coaxes guests to party with a wink and a nod, hosting onboard events like the welcome Pajama Party and the popular, immersive Scarlet Night at least once per voyage.—
Scott Laird,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Nearly a decade ago, researchers who study what used to be called UFOs got a new burst of energy, thanks to whistleblowers who helped coax out classified information about the government’s search for life off Earth.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Practical self-care items such as thick lotions, face masks and soft soaps that don’t irritate skin. Pragmatic.—
Ellen T. Meiser,
The Conversation,
5 Dec. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The school system received significant state and national praise for improved test scores.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
-
Florida’s Risk Protection Order law was never designed to win praise from gun-safety advocates.—
Christopher Carita,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
That, plus a golden iPhone (or key to the city) and a bit of flattery, should do the trick.—
Ravi Gupta,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Adam evoked the image of stretching taffy.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
-
As the two galaxies converged, each would pull the other apart like taffy, creating long tendrils of stars, gas and dust called tidal tails.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The trick went down well with the Swansea supporters and earned a League Two footballer wider acclaim.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
-
The group went on to earn national and international acclaim before its swaggering leader, Country Dick Montana, died on stage midway through a 1995 show in Whistler, Canada.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sweet-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweet-talk. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
