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 things went horribly wrong when the actor started choking on what was meant to be her instrument of temptation.
—
Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 May 2026
To be sure, the temptation will be there to build around Rice.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
The temptation to go with Krick’s more pleasant (and somehow more spiritually American) forecast is obviously great.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 May 2026
And through all of this, resist the temptation to treat any specific model release as the problem to solve.
—Philip Martin, Fortune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 May 2026
To be sure, the temptation will be there to build around Rice.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
The temptation to go with Krick’s more pleasant (and somehow more spiritually American) forecast is obviously great.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 May 2026
And through all of this, resist the temptation to treat any specific model release as the problem to solve.
—Philip Martin, Fortune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
-
The Austrian artist Valie Export, who died last week, at the age of eighty-five, saw the female body as a site of both seduction and opposition.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
-
In a world that often feels increasingly bleak and politically exhausted, there’s comfort in leaning into softness, seduction, and fantasy, and in letting your wardrobe reflect that desire too.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The startup mentality can often be scrappy, and the AI tools available at the moment make the lure of custom builds all the more tempting.—
Emma Westley,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Part of that lure is how the employees themselves feel upon returning to the four-day workweek.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Building more starter homes may be harder, since the financial incentives are to build more expensive homes.—
Allison Schrager,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
People also will receive help with family reunification, landlord incentives, case conferences, and finding safe parking.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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