wheedling 1 of 2

noun

as in coaxing

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wheedling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wheedle
as in cajoling
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery wheedled him into doing their work for them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 wheedling
Noun
Checkers can see your shortcuts, your reportorial wheedling, your blind spots. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a bid to rekindle the couple’s honeymoon phase, Yasmin troubleshoots by wheedling a chief executive role for him at payment processing company Tender (run by Max Minghella‘s inscrutable puppet-master Whitney Halberstram), and throwing her husband a lavish costume party for his 40th birthday. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wheedling
  1. coaxing
  2. entreaty
  3. persuading
  4. exhortation
  5. inducement
  6. blandishment
  7. suasion
Noun
  • And honestly, this type of traveler doesn’t need the most coaxing to try out a cruise vacation.
    — Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • No coaxing or pulling from the crate.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of coaxing
Noun
  • These are the people who will likely be most amenable to negotiations or personal entreaties.
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 June 2026
  • Rajoub refused the entreaty, much to the frustration and embarrassment of Infantino.
    — Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Definition of entreaty
Noun
  • Bisegna, who is 17 and more soft-spoken, took a little persuading.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 13 July 2026
  • And social media is presumably where AI will do much of its persuading.
    — Robert Wright, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Definition of persuading
Noun
  • While his exhortation left off Brady’s signature profane intensifier, the motivational gambit remained explicit even in the absence of the familiar F-bomb.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
  • Their exhortations to get rich quick, drive fast cars and aggressively treat women as property are followed by millions of people online.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of exhortation
Noun
  • As an inducement to get votes from conservative rural congressional members, the OBBBA included a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, but this is substantially less money than the Medicaid cuts will total across rural America.
    — Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
  • The program was renamed cap-and-invest and refiners were given free emission rights as an inducement to remain in the state.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of inducement
Noun
  • Impressed by the senator’s blandishments, the egoistic journalist argues military strategy and then faces a moment of conscience.
    — Armond White, National Review, 17 May 2023
  • People want to hear blandishments about engagement and infrastructure.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023
Definition of blandishment
Noun
  • All that remains may be the power of public suasion, but Gilead hasn’t demonstrated much sensitivity to such pressure.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • In some circumstances, moral suasion can also be effective.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of suasion

Browse Nearby Words

wheedles
wheedling
wheel
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Cite this Entry

“Wheedling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wheedling. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wheedling

Nglish: Translation of wheedling for Spanish Speakers

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