as in enticing
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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
Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2025
Clean your garbage cans once a month or so to make sure there is nothing outside the bag that might be tempting for little pests to explore.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 29 Nov. 2025
This scenario is tempting several luxury goods house to look Stateside.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Adjective
By seemingly changing dopamine signals in the brain, these drugs could reduce cravings and allow the individual to be more rational when faced with tempting options.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2025
Clean your garbage cans once a month or so to make sure there is nothing outside the bag that might be tempting for little pests to explore.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Verb
Fill your plate with healthier fare such as raw vegetables, shrimp cocktail and fresh fruit so there's less room for the higher-calorie dishes that are tempting you.
—Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 29 Nov. 2025
This scenario is tempting several luxury goods house to look Stateside.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempting
Adjective
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Look beyond the enticing photos and use the key plant information as your guide.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Cronin asked a reporter inquiring about bringing more enticing nonconference opponents to Pauley Pavilion.—
Ben Bolch,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Due to a positive audience response to the pairing, the writers retconned the scene as a seduction, rather than rape.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
22 Dec. 2025
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For years, Laura's rape was treated as a sort of seduction — until 1998 when Luke and Laura's son Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) finds out the dark history behind his parents' romance.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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After luring her into his car under false pretenses, Wilson beat and strangled Ruiz before pushing her out of the vehicle and running her over multiple times, according to USA Today.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
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In the meantime, though, amid Barca reportedly wanting a higher €10 million fee from PSG as a goodwill gesture, SPORT has explained that Luis Enrique played a huge role in luring the teenager whom Flick gave his first team debut to earlier this term.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As vehicle testing continues, confirmation from OEMs that the QSE-5 cells sustain their energy density (over 800 Wh/L) under real-world conditions will represent a significant de-risking event.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Mass deporting migrants, brazenly axing federal grants and jobs, pursuing an inflationary trade war, risking the lives of soldiers to trouble the sovereignty of hemispheric neighbors—these things are shaking the everyday lives of Americans.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This team is heavy on youth, which is a tantalizing prospect for Team USA’s long-term future, but gets a veteran boost at the bottom of the lineup.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
-
For Republican leaders, the prospect of an isolationist comeback must be particularly tantalizing.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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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In the complaint, which was first filed in September in a North Carolina state court, plaintiff Heather Ammel accused Sinema of seducing her ex-husband Matthew Ammel, who began working for Sinema in April 2022 as part of her security detail.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
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In Arthur Penn’s 1975 neo-noir Night Moves, Griffith is Delly Grastner, a 16-year-old runaway with a little girl’s voice and a grown woman’s body—on full display in an underwater nude scene—intent on seducing Gene Hackman, 43 and paunchy.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Getty Images The Broncos and Patriots will get the action started in the first game on Sunday, and two rushing props stand out as the most alluring player props from that contest.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Baking Soda While baking soda doesn’t have an alluring scent, its magic lies in removing unwanted odors, making space for the good stuff to really shine.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempting. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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