1
as in seduction
the pressure to give in to a desire for easy or immediate pleasure
he felt the temptation to go sailing, but did his chores instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in lure
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
money, power, and other overwhelming temptations can seduce a person to a life of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of temptation
Despite this, there may be a temptation to control the narrative, to take the pressure off.
—
Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Afterward, Jackson, who is starting his eighth training camp, resisted any temptation to look ahead.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 24 July 2025
The Nuggets wisely resisted the temptation to run it back with last season’s roster.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 July 2025
At a time when public trust in higher education is evaporating, faculty are stretched thin, and institutional missions are fraying under financial strain, the temptation is to become further entrenched in the status quo or surrender to inevitable decline.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Afterward, Jackson, who is starting his eighth training camp, resisted any temptation to look ahead.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 24 July 2025
The Nuggets wisely resisted the temptation to run it back with last season’s roster.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 July 2025
At a time when public trust in higher education is evaporating, faculty are stretched thin, and institutional missions are fraying under financial strain, the temptation is to become further entrenched in the status quo or surrender to inevitable decline.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
-
As with Mozart, Renoir’s overt effervescence offers a fanciful tour of a charming hell on earth—and tempts viewers with its seductions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
-
For Wheezy’s seduction to have worked, Felix had to let himself be seduced.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
His season with the Lions is a success on the field, though the documentary resists the lure of game-by-game storytelling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
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For decades, the lure of cartel cash has ensnared prosecutors, generals, mayors, governors — and even the country’s onetime top law enforcement honcho, Genaro García Luna, against whom Veytia testified in federal court in Brooklyn.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
Noun
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The result is a misaligned affordability signal that dulls incentives to adapt and crowds out private innovation.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Globalization could be blamed for introducing competition from other countries with lower labor costs, putting downward pressure on manufacturing wages in the United States and creating incentives to move production abroad.—
Michael B. G. Froman,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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