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
Living across the street from school led to fewer temptations to skip.
—
Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Then the movie was accepted for Venice, and the temptation of the most glamorous paparazzi photo op in all of Italy proved irresistible.
—Matt Tyrnauer, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
The goal is to stay away from temptation, not resist it.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2026
In my graduate training, I was taught to avoid anthropomorphizing animal research subjects – to resist the temptation to project human thoughts and emotions onto nonhuman minds, because human brains likely contribute to uniquely human cognitive and emotional experiences.
—Kelly Lambert, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Then the movie was accepted for Venice, and the temptation of the most glamorous paparazzi photo op in all of Italy proved irresistible.
—Matt Tyrnauer, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
The goal is to stay away from temptation, not resist it.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2026
In my graduate training, I was taught to avoid anthropomorphizing animal research subjects – to resist the temptation to project human thoughts and emotions onto nonhuman minds, because human brains likely contribute to uniquely human cognitive and emotional experiences.
—Kelly Lambert, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
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But the seductions of ChatGPT are hard to resist, and Marsicano noted that the college has seen an increase in code violations due to AI.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
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The seductions are not just for ratings.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This past year also was elevated by the success that the league’s TV partners had in harnessing the lure of live game coverage to drive larger corporate imperatives — namely, building up the streaming platforms that represent the future for the parent companies of NBC, CBS, ESPN/ABC and Fox.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
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However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, these lines have blurred as relocating families and remote workers seek the social life and cultural lure of cities.—
Zoë Dare Hall,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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By and large, business figures have no incentive to flame tensions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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The applicant is also seeking a density bonus incentive to exceed the base floor area ratio, or FAR, for the site, which would allow for 139 visitor accommodation units.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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