1
as in seductions
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
Relevance
2
as in lures
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of temptations
Never discount the criminal temptations of the price per pound of metal (and shame on the metal salvage companies that accept for scrap something that is very obviously historic, and stolen).
—
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
This spiritual grounding acted as a shield against the temptations that come with money and fame.
—Max Bacall , Nikos Degruccio , Alexia Cousoulas, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Early blues musicians sang of hardship and hard luck, temptations that couldn’t be resisted, and relationships gone wrong.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
Ramadan is the month that Muslims fast from food and drink from sun up to sun down in an effort to form a deeper connection with God, without the distractions of worldly temptations.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
As a result, parents have taught their children to use willpower to resist modern temptations like fast food and video games.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
When Taylor is announced as The Bachelorette, and Jen and Whitney head to Dancing with the Stars, competition creates chaos, temptations arise, and tradition turns upside down.
—Fleurine Tideman, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2026
Strong’s mindset, at a time when there are more distractions and temptations than ever in college sports, means Auriemma is left playing defense against those obstacles far less.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
The temptations to subvert our open records act are everywhere and often not resisted.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
This spiritual grounding acted as a shield against the temptations that come with money and fame.
—Max Bacall , Nikos Degruccio , Alexia Cousoulas, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Early blues musicians sang of hardship and hard luck, temptations that couldn’t be resisted, and relationships gone wrong.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
Ramadan is the month that Muslims fast from food and drink from sun up to sun down in an effort to form a deeper connection with God, without the distractions of worldly temptations.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
As a result, parents have taught their children to use willpower to resist modern temptations like fast food and video games.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
When Taylor is announced as The Bachelorette, and Jen and Whitney head to Dancing with the Stars, competition creates chaos, temptations arise, and tradition turns upside down.
—Fleurine Tideman, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2026
Strong’s mindset, at a time when there are more distractions and temptations than ever in college sports, means Auriemma is left playing defense against those obstacles far less.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
The temptations to subvert our open records act are everywhere and often not resisted.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptations
Noun
-
So, who was it from our universe that would be most susceptible to that kind of messaging, or who would find the seductions of the power offered by that the most compelling?—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
3 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The abundant risks and perverse incentives of the sharenting industry have, in recent years, inspired some well-meaning legislation.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The core problem, attorney fee incentives, was left untouched.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Season 2 of the Netflix iteration dropped all nine of its episodes on April 10, with early promises to stay faithful evaporating as new attractions emerged and simmering resentments boiled over.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Cruise through Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park that contains a section of the historic road, and stop at quirky attractions like Illinois’ gigantic fiberglass statues that were the pinnacle of advertising in the 1960s.—
Meena Thiruvengadam,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In any case, today’s entering workforce, Generation Z, seems less likely to fall for those enticements than past workers starting their careers.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But none of these enticements can conceal the absence of scripts and direction that set a distinctive mood, then deftly navigate every deliberate shift.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Temptations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptations. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
