as in intrigues
to cause (someone) to feel interest or excitement about something that is very attractive, appealing, etc.
She was tantalized by the possibility of earning a lot of money quickly.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 tantalizes
But 36–23 still taunts and tantalizes us, a magical missing score that reminds every Scorigami devotee that what’s possible isn’t preordained.
—
Josh Levin, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2025
Set in his native Scotland and lovingly photographed, the film tantalizes even without a terribly original story.
—Stephen Farber, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2025
Josh Levin, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2025
Set in his native Scotland and lovingly photographed, the film tantalizes even without a terribly original story.
—Stephen Farber, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tantalizes
Verb
-
The menu has a lot of delicious choices, but the one that intrigues my girlfriend is their overnight oat bowl.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
And what intrigues you about where Tim and Lucy are headed for the rest of the season?—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Students might write about specific courses that reflect their interests, faculty whose research excites them, or interdisciplinary programs that align with their particular niche.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
What excites me now are other emotions, other stories.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The mind thrills to imagine a genderless prophet among the brocades and buckskin breeches of Revolutionary America, weirding out the normies, sticking a flower in the barrel of a musket, and goading the new nation to let its hair down—literally.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Monfils draws and then thrills a crowd like few players on tour, producing impossible acts of tennis escapology and delivering winners from all corners of the court.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tantalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tantalizes. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
