tempts

verb

present tense third-person singular of tempt
1
as in seduces
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 risks
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

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 tempts While Sal tempts Sessa’s Bourdain with drugs, thievery and more bad behavior. — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 The slight dogleg to the right tempts players to take an aggressive line off the tee, but an expansive waste bunker guards the shortcut and punishes any miscalculation. — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Plus, there’s something about being part of the process of buying (or growing) the ingredients and preparing a recipe that piques the curiosity of even the pickiest eater and tempts them to take a bite. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 25 July 2026 Daniel’s presence is but one of many not-so-subtle ways Lestat tempts Louis back into his life. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 June 2026 Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 2026 Frida is the most significant secondary figure — the person who tempts Gabrielle away from her trajectory, making her pause and ponder roads not taken. — Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 Boxing tempts him, the business world motivates him and his role as a promoter excites him. — Jorge Ebro may 6, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026 The casino now resides in many homes and daily tempts the occupants. — Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempts
  1. seduces
  2. risks
  3. entices
  4. confronts
  5. lures
  6. persuades
  7. betrays
Verb
  • Artificial plays like a modern-day parable in which the trickster god seduces the innocent.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Diaz centers music as the emotional vehicle that provides a philosophical structure for the character tropes and in turn psychologically seduces the audience to internalize certain ideas of social dynamics.
    — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of seduces
Verb
  • The outlet further suggests that a choice must be made, or else Eugenie risks the possibility of losing all her royal connections.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen on Tuesday pledged huge spending cuts to get debt under control, warning that France ultimately risks defaulting on its debt.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of risks
Verb
  • Turkey’s growing hair transplant and restoration industry in particular entices people with easy-to-digest all-inclusive packages advertised on their websites, online placements, and social media.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The high-concept thriller stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as a demonic character called The Stranger, who entices a young mother played by Jasmine Trinca into forging a Faustian pact.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of entices
Verb
  • The Quebec election and the approaching Alberta vote have renewed questions about Canadian unity as Carney’s government confronts Trump’s tariffs and threats against the country.
    — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Specialized sources have described the film as a work that confronts the legacy of Syria’s prison and detention system through memory, testimony, and the restoration of survivors’ voices.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of confronts
Verb
  • In the exceedingly bleak ending to the book, Bela realizes that the demon has killed and styled itself after her Grandma Ruth, who lures Russell and Ursula to their death.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The Vegetarian by Han Kang, 208 Pages This haunting novel lures readers when a woman’s sudden decision to stop eating meat triggers a destructive crisis in her family.
    — Arabella Hau, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of lures
Verb
  • Text-message codes can be vulnerable when an attacker persuades a mobile carrier to transfer a victim’s number to the attacker’s phone.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Mark is reluctant to put up their impressive Westside home as loan collateral, but Sam persuades him that the risk will pay off and the election is all but sewn up.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of persuades
Verb
  • But the production here betrays its economy, and the direction, by Garth Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, remains earthbound, held down by mournful strings and devoid of color.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But its name betrays a critical second function, which is to provide the type of tire-biting traction that can rescue you from one of the more frustrating debacles of off-road travel.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of betrays

Browse Nearby Words

temptresses
tempts
ten
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Cite this Entry

“Tempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempts. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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