as in tempting
having a strong power to provoke or hold interest
The menu included a selection of tantalizing desserts.
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as in intriguing
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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tantalizing
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
The dining room was dark, save for the tantalizing buffet station, which gleamed like the full moon over the cloudless Aegean.
—Adam Dalva, Longreads, 29 Apr. 2026
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
The Costco shopping experience is immersive by design – from the big-screen bling at the warehouse door to aisle after aisle of tantalizing deals to bag.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tantalizing
Adjective
Tough yet romantic, climbing roses (Rosa cultivars) have flower power and tantalizing scents.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
The dining room was dark, save for the tantalizing buffet station, which gleamed like the full moon over the cloudless Aegean.
—Adam Dalva, Longreads, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
The advantages are tantalizing, particularly for a vehicle that’s going to be summoned on demand.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
The Costco shopping experience is immersive by design – from the big-screen bling at the warehouse door to aisle after aisle of tantalizing deals to bag.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tantalizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tantalizing
Adjective
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Many aging auteurs seem mentally caught between honoring their artistic legacy and giving in to the risky promise of AI that’s tempting (and, in some cases, directly financing) almost everyone in the media right now.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
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These purple jelly nails look as tempting as an ice-cold treat on a hot summer day.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
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And while the company presented more data on that drug Tuesday, showing promising first-line and combination data on daraxonrasib, scientists also showed in another session intriguing preclinical data on a completely new compound that may represent what comes after the current lineup.—
Angus Chen,
STAT,
21 Apr. 2026
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There’s familiarity there, but there’s also intriguing talent with Thompson.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Vegas Golden Knights have taken Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, erasing the Carolina Hurricanes' early 2-0 lead to win a thrilling 5-4 game in Raleigh and set the tone for this best-of-seven series.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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The scene was genuinely awful to watch, but the movie—a story of plague, passion, period costumes, and an unwashed man in a tunic skipping town to cure writer’s block—ended up thrilling us; the portrayal of two creative minds working together (and apart) was, oddly, familiar.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Major Wilson, 17, has been around horses most of his life and now spends much of his time helping younger riders get ready, showing them how to saddle their horses without exciting them.—
Jhair Romero,
Houston Chronicle,
26 Feb. 2026
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For Harrington and her husband Dante, the thought of triplets was shocking but exciting all the same.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tantalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tantalizing. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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