as in courting
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as in inviting
to act so as to make (something) more likely
his attempts to woo approval from working-class voters has not met with much success
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Recent Examples of wooing
Greg Cote
january 30, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
And Mike's wooing was not initially reciprocated – Claire was married, divorcing her first husband, Rachel and Dayna's father, when Dayna was a baby.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 18 Dec. 2025
The desperate wooing of Trumpworld figures has been evident with both men.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
Wallets, coins, and rings are carelessly passed around this little society, and messages are corrupted—from Orsino’s wooing of Olivia, which is accidentally undone by his own go-between, Viola, to the letters that deceive Malvolio.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
That includes the wooing of influencers, who are sometimes paid to preview attractions, attend events and stay at hotels.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Michael Walker, New York Times, 29 May 2026
With the June 2 primary days away, California’s top three governor hopefuls barnstormed the state Friday, wooing unions, firing attacks and sharpening contrasts in a tight, high-stakes race.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Cruise lines have been wooing those passengers in recent years with shorter, more affordable itineraries.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
Venturella spent time in Gary in 2016 wooing the city with cash infusions for its public safety agencies, workforce development and construction assistance for enhancing Airport Road.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Heath Ledger played Patrick Verona, a rebellious teen with a mysterious past who accepts the challenge of wooing Kat.
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
But don’t install dramatic tile in the bathroom or statement-making wallpaper in the dining room solely in hopes of wooing a buyer, as decorating taste is incredibly subjective, notes Nolen.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The rehabilitation itself will be expensive, and its success will depend on wooing private investors and overcoming a half-decade of adverse publicity.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Smelling blood in the bathwater, Therme has spent the past several years pushing for development in North American cities, spending massively on hiring and events and wooing community representatives and public officials.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant — twice — all have been linked to Heat pursuits in recent years, none of the wooing reaching fruition.
—Greg Cote
january 30, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
And Mike's wooing was not initially reciprocated – Claire was married, divorcing her first husband, Rachel and Dayna's father, when Dayna was a baby.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 18 Dec. 2025
The desperate wooing of Trumpworld figures has been evident with both men.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
Wallets, coins, and rings are carelessly passed around this little society, and messages are corrupted—from Orsino’s wooing of Olivia, which is accidentally undone by his own go-between, Viola, to the letters that deceive Malvolio.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
That includes the wooing of influencers, who are sometimes paid to preview attractions, attend events and stay at hotels.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Having not spent more than £3million ($4m) on a player on the way to the top division, the £16m transfer from Roma of Enzo Le Fee was confirmed, while majority shareholder Kyril Louis-Dreyfus used his Swiss contacts to start wooing Granit Xhaka.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 29 May 2026
With the June 2 primary days away, California’s top three governor hopefuls barnstormed the state Friday, wooing unions, firing attacks and sharpening contrasts in a tight, high-stakes race.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Cruise lines have been wooing those passengers in recent years with shorter, more affordable itineraries.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
Venturella spent time in Gary in 2016 wooing the city with cash infusions for its public safety agencies, workforce development and construction assistance for enhancing Airport Road.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Heath Ledger played Patrick Verona, a rebellious teen with a mysterious past who accepts the challenge of wooing Kat.
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
But don’t install dramatic tile in the bathroom or statement-making wallpaper in the dining room solely in hopes of wooing a buyer, as decorating taste is incredibly subjective, notes Nolen.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The rehabilitation itself will be expensive, and its success will depend on wooing private investors and overcoming a half-decade of adverse publicity.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Smelling blood in the bathwater, Therme has spent the past several years pushing for development in North American cities, spending massively on hiring and events and wooing community representatives and public officials.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wooing
Noun
-
But Armour, who grew up swimming alongside these creatures and works for local outfitter Diving With Giants, is doing his best translation of their cetacean courting calls.—
Adam Erace,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
-
It’s often said that age is just a number, and a new Netflix reality dating series will soon put the old adage to the test by taking age entirely out of the courting equation.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The big brother Big Ten took its turn last week at inviting ridicule, pushing hard on all fronts for the 24-team College Football Playoff that commissioner Tony Petitti has brought to the table like a child with a Whoopee Cushion at a wake.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Red at 28th Multicultural restaurant, bar and hookah lounge Red at 28th is inviting locals to celebrate its new spot in North Charlotte.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The Austrian artist Valie Export, who died last week, at the age of eighty-five, saw the female body as a site of both seduction and opposition.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
-
In a world that often feels increasingly bleak and politically exhausted, there’s comfort in leaning into softness, seduction, and fantasy, and in letting your wardrobe reflect that desire too.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Trump has signed executive orders seeking some of the same policies on a federal level.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Later, lunch and afternoon tea often fill the tables with locals or guests seeking live music and a great way to wind down the workday.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Keep reading for more of our favorite charming finds below—all under $30.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The strategy has earned bipartisan praise at home, but left her increasingly outside the party’s national resistance movement.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
The show closed early after a panning in the press, but Waddingham’s turn as Toulouse-Lautrec’s lover, Suzanne Valadon, was singled out for praise.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
In the same way that Christ fasted to resist the tempting of the biblical adversary, many Christians are also called to fast and give up the temptations of their daily lives during Lent.—
Rin Velasco,
The Providence Journal,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Seven states have now passed legislation to regulate family influencing, but these laws mostly just ensure that parents set aside a percentage of earnings to compensate their children.—
Kristen Martin,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2026
-
Once dismissed as a side hustle or vanity career, social media influencing has rapidly evolved into one of the most lucrative—and measurable—jobs in the modern economy.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wooing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wooing. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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