as in enticing
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in luring
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risking
to take a chance on
refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tempting
Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
And with Fed rate cuts in the final months of the year causing rates to fall to 3-year lows, waiting for additional rate drops may be understandably tempting right now.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Luke, for his part, is described as roaming the land looking for Force artifacts, while Leia and Han will be spotted in areas near the Millennium Falcon and Oga’s Cantina, the latter tempting Han while Leia will serve the role of a recruiter.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Adjective
The bureau advises gamblers to beware promises of big payouts, tempting ads with no details, sweepstakes-style games, overseas business locations and payment through cryptocurrency.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
And with Fed rate cuts in the final months of the year causing rates to fall to 3-year lows, waiting for additional rate drops may be understandably tempting right now.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
Ease into the day at the charming French-Vietnamese Elizabeth Street Café, which greets the dawn with coffee and pastries, before evolving its menu as the day passes, with pho and banh mi tempting the casual crowd.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Luke, for his part, is described as roaming the land looking for Force artifacts, while Leia and Han will be spotted in areas near the Millennium Falcon and Oga’s Cantina, the latter tempting Han while Leia will serve the role of a recruiter.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempting
Adjective
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For game developers, each separate universe is an enticing sandbox to play in.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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One itinerary that is particularly enticing for a couples cruise is a seven-night cruise through Italy and the French Riviera.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Her Sharon Coombs is a high-end insurance broker who hawks pricey policies to wealthy clients, sugaring her pitch with a hint of seduction.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Ben Affleck returned for his fourth Super Bowl effort for Dunkin’, this time luring Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady, Jason Alexander, Jasmine Guy, Tom Brady and Jaleel White for a spot that evoked 1990s sitcoms.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
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Both Kelly and Landfair were adamant about their love, and a 17-year-old Landfair was so deep under her abuser’s spell that her parents had no hope of successfully luring her away from Kelly.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Neighborhoods are increasingly squeezed by major projects and rising property values, risking resident displacement.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Attention is the new de-risking tool.—
Martin Moszkowicz,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That success only made realizing his childhood Olympic medal dream all the more tantalizing.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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If the Heat can pull this off, the immediate upside is tantalizing, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Trump’s exhortations to the oil industry dovetail with a broader push to address cost-of-living concerns weighing heavily on Republicans’ bid to maintain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
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In Queen Mother, Farmer takes a clear-eyed look at Moore’s foibles, noting her absenteeism during her son’s formative years, her embrace of patriarchal hierarchy in Black communities, and her exhortations for Black women to embrace polygyny to facilitate nation building.—
Dara T. Mathis,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This is so outrageous that even Creepy Professor Oliver McCreepenstein, a middle-aged married man currently seducing his 17-year-old student, is aghast.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
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Always on the phone, Evans was soon seducing and scrapping with everyone from Frank Sinatra (who threatened to pull Mia Farrow off Rosemary’s Baby) to suits refusing to cast a washed up Marlon Brando in The Godfather.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Or, indeed, anyone else’s, given its alluring but thoroughly peculiar jumble of comic, dramatic and generally antic tones, or the increasingly indeterminate target of its hollow social satire.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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If ambiance is as alluring as the food for your romantic rendezvous, this high-style seafood spot in downtown Milwaukee is for you.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempting. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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