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
But the temptation to abuse these tools is always there.
—
Ashanty Rosario, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2025
Shaped like miniature stars and dots, the hydrocolloid bandages not only cover blemishes and remove the temptation for picking, but also enable the inflammation to heal faster.
—Khanh T.l. Tran, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
But the ever-increasing pressure to pull in eyeballs can be a real temptation in an industry already marred by exploitation — especially at a time when true crime is making independent content creators serious money for limited investment on social media.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Augusta Gein, intent on protecting her two sons from temptation, made sure the family kept to themselves.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Ashanty Rosario, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2025
Shaped like miniature stars and dots, the hydrocolloid bandages not only cover blemishes and remove the temptation for picking, but also enable the inflammation to heal faster.
—Khanh T.l. Tran, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
But the ever-increasing pressure to pull in eyeballs can be a real temptation in an industry already marred by exploitation — especially at a time when true crime is making independent content creators serious money for limited investment on social media.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Augusta Gein, intent on protecting her two sons from temptation, made sure the family kept to themselves.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
-
This is the seduction drawing the ultra rich.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The seduction of cognitive automation helps explain a worrying pattern: AI tools can boost the productivity of experts but may also actively mislead novices in expertise-heavy fields such as legal services.—
David Autor,
The Atlantic,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But even without European football, and after a decade in which Old Trafford has at times resembled a graveyard for promising careers, the lure of Manchester United — in terms of glamour, prestige and finance — remains powerful.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Once again, companies that succeed in this space are those that resist the lure of a universal solution.—
Divyaditya Shrivastava,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Where the data is essential—say, health details for a pet—testing light incentives makes sense.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Check for state or local EV incentives and utility rebates.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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