1
as in lured
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
that chocolate dessert sure tempts me, but I should stick with my diet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risked
to take a chance on
refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation
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Recent Examples of tempted
While you may be tempted to blame other animals such as opossums or snakes, or even coyotes for making holes or burrows in your yard, these creatures are more likely to use existing animal holes for their dens.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
But a remarkable number of Americans are tempted by that departure terminal barstool as well, regardless of what the clocks say.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 May 2026
They’d be tempted to betray themselves or others.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
If you’re tempted to act on seasonal patterns, consider doing it with a small portion of your portfolio while keeping your core investments aligned with your long-term plan.
—Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Your mind is racing, and you’re tempted to say something impulsive, especially in a text, DM or conversation that triggers you.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
But the four-hour series’ greatest achievement is that, for all the inevitable comparisons one might be tempted to make, this Lord of the Flies is wholly its own thing, as audacious and yet devoted to its source material as any TV adaptation in recent memory.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
If you’re tempted by the prospect of ripping out old cabinets and resorting to lower-cost open shelving, Teel recommends staying away from open shelving or glass cabinetry to keep your space from looking cluttered.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 4 May 2026
You’d have been tempted to say it was meant to be.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
But a remarkable number of Americans are tempted by that departure terminal barstool as well, regardless of what the clocks say.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 May 2026
They’d be tempted to betray themselves or others.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
If you’re tempted to act on seasonal patterns, consider doing it with a small portion of your portfolio while keeping your core investments aligned with your long-term plan.
—Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Your mind is racing, and you’re tempted to say something impulsive, especially in a text, DM or conversation that triggers you.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
But the four-hour series’ greatest achievement is that, for all the inevitable comparisons one might be tempted to make, this Lord of the Flies is wholly its own thing, as audacious and yet devoted to its source material as any TV adaptation in recent memory.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
If you’re tempted by the prospect of ripping out old cabinets and resorting to lower-cost open shelving, Teel recommends staying away from open shelving or glass cabinetry to keep your space from looking cluttered.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 4 May 2026
You’d have been tempted to say it was meant to be.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempted
Verb
-
Cox’s death came four days after that of fellow Atlanta icon Ted Turner, who as owner of Braves lured Cox back to the team in 1990.—
Charles Odum,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
The prosecution argued that Bryant had encountered Morales before and likely followed her from the Sterling Glen Apartments, then either lured her with his badge or forced her into his truck before killing her and leaving her body in the woods.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Even more frightening is a judge apologizing to an assassin who risked the lives of 2,000 people while attempting to assassinate the president and his cabinet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
To slow down in such situations could have risked the lives of others, the attorney said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The sister of King Charles III is rarely seduced by trends, fashions, or labels.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
9 May 2026
-
Onscreen, Andy was being seduced by a heavily jawed man with blond hair.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
On a gray February morning, Nurul Amin ventured out, alone.—
Dan Barry,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The firm ventured into the manufacturing of plastic gloves in response to the spike in demand for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Some racers, such as Mayor Justin Raithel, who made it to the semifinals in his open class division, enticed their snails with lettuce.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
-
Television functions, for him, as a looking glass through which we are enticed, the better to savor the strangeness of beings infinitely odder, if more resilient, than Humpty Dumpty.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Historically, Angelenos didn’t need to be persuaded to ride the train.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
But the price was worth it for Bischofberger, who persuaded Warhol to give him right of first refusal for his art, a stipulation that the artist upheld until his death in 1987.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempted. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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