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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tempted
Europeans can be tempted to believe that increasing defense budgets will be enough to defend Europe in the absence of the United States.
—
Ivan Krastev, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Whatever you’re tempted to look at?
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Jan. 2026
Your pantry shelf might just provide the perfect atmosphere for your groceries, so don't always be tempted to open the refrigerator door.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026
Who knows what North Korea will be tempted to do.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Let that be your motivation for restraint the next time you’re tempted to splurge on a latte.
—Jonathan Zeller, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
Could you be tempted back into that world?
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
For those tempted to dismiss this as ancient history—many members of the IPO class of 1999, after all, got clobbered by the dotcom crash—2021 provides another cautionary tale.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
Although you might be tempted by the tile choices below at a showroom or based on one square sample, interior designers say these five can be overwhelming when used wall-to-wall or on both the walls and the floor.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 13 Jan. 2026
Ivan Krastev, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Whatever you’re tempted to look at?
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Jan. 2026
Your pantry shelf might just provide the perfect atmosphere for your groceries, so don't always be tempted to open the refrigerator door.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026
Who knows what North Korea will be tempted to do.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Let that be your motivation for restraint the next time you’re tempted to splurge on a latte.
—Jonathan Zeller, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
Could you be tempted back into that world?
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
For those tempted to dismiss this as ancient history—many members of the IPO class of 1999, after all, got clobbered by the dotcom crash—2021 provides another cautionary tale.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
Although you might be tempted by the tile choices below at a showroom or based on one square sample, interior designers say these five can be overwhelming when used wall-to-wall or on both the walls and the floor.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempted
Verb
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Earlier this month, TechCrunch reported that Threads had lured more daily mobile users worldwide than X, citing data from Similarweb.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2026
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They are joined by new series regulars Rodriguez, Moyer, Lyons, who plays a former spy lured out of retirement, Morrison and Callum Vinson as well as Albert Jones, Horton and Evans-Akingbola who have been promoted to series regulars.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Taylor’s remarks quickly drew criticism from civil liberties advocates and media scholars, who said his comments risked undermining public safety and the public’s right to document police activity.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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But millions of student loan borrowers in default risked seeing their wages garnished and tax refunds seized, as the long forbearance program that began during the COVID-19 pandemic unwinds and debt collection involving tax refunds and wages resumed.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Released in 1994, Sátántangó (based on László Krasznahorka’s novel) chronicled an impoverished Hungarian village that becomes seduced by a would-be prophet who has seemingly come back from the dead.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
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This year, we were seduced by silver trays and a new take on the TV-dinner table.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Daily Dividend Research and consulting firm Brand Finance found Tesla’s brand suffered last year as CEO Elon Musk ventured further into politics.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, Congress has also ventured into the sphere, which would be a much larger aim at AI for all kinds of uses, but nothing has gotten to a formative stage.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An Associated Press investigation found that unwitting Bangladeshi workers were enticed to Russia under the false promise of civilian work before being thrown into combat in Ukraine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
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An Associated Press investigation found that unwitting Bangladeshi workers were enticed to Russia under the false promise of civilian work before being thrown into combat in Ukraine.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not persuaded the protesters to stay off the streets.—
Henry Austin,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
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The paintings worked because viewers did not need to be persuaded that these scenes mattered.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempted. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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