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
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Recent Examples of sweet-talk
HubSpot, 2 May 2025
According to Twain, Jennie then begged to be sold downriver, having been sweet-talked into it by a local slave trader, William Beebe.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for sweet-talk
Verb
But its sense of urgency to sweet-talk the public into drinking more milk — and correct the supply-demand imbalance — have produced some truly memorable ads.
—HubSpot, 2 May 2025
According to Twain, Jennie then begged to be sold downriver, having been sweet-talked into it by a local slave trader, William Beebe.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
Know when to say no, and refuse to let anyone sweet talk you into something that eats up your time, offering limited return.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for sweet-talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweet-talk
Verb
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But even without a rewards program, credit cards have a way of coaxing people to use them.—
Michael Waters,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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All three actors praised Cianfrance’s ability to coax naturalistic performances from his cast.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Finished with butter, this chicken is at home served with Roasted Potatoes, green beans, or old-school Stick of Butter Rice.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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In a clip from the 2006 special, the Duggars detail their purchases, which include 24 cans of milk, a case of butter and plenty of burritos.—
Erin Clements,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 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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The praise makes Goldenberg uncomfortable.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Analysts are often effusive in their praise of companies on their earnings calls after results beat expectations or a forecast is particularly impressive.—
Ari Levy,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And when the offer comes, don’t rely on flattery.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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In aggregate, users favored responses full of agreement and flattery.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Korean taffy candy is considered good luck, specifically for the CSAT.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 Aug. 2025
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Volunteers in yellow shirts handed out grapes, watermelon, taffy and Gatorade to community members, and white candles to be lit.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
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His collaboration with Shane Meadows on the This Is England trilogy (’86, ’88, ’90) earned him widespread critical acclaim and multiple awards.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ghost Donkey Also located in the back of a food hall is the chill and intimate Ghost Donkey, the tequila and mezcal bar that moved over from the East Coast after much acclaim.—
Tim McGovern,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sweet-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweet-talk. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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