as in cajolery
a nice thing that someone says or does to persuade another to do something
He finally succumbed to his children's blandishments and allowed them to stay up past their bedtime.
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Recent Examples of blandishment
The fateful lane change arose out of one mayor’s resistance to such blandishments.
—
Ephrat Livni, Quartz, 7 May 2020
Her 2014 autobiography, A Fighting Chance, and recent stump speeches are festooned in pep club spirit and folksy blandishments, cloying bits of business that have attached themselves to her life story.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 13 Feb. 2020
The region’s main powers, Australia and New Zealand, fear the creation of a mendicant state on their doorsteps, susceptible, in particular, to Chinese bribes and blandishments.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
Having failed to win the Japanese around with blandishments, an increasingly desperate-looking Senard has reached for the stick.
—Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for blandishment
Ephrat Livni, Quartz, 7 May 2020
Her 2014 autobiography, A Fighting Chance, and recent stump speeches are festooned in pep club spirit and folksy blandishments, cloying bits of business that have attached themselves to her life story.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 13 Feb. 2020
The region’s main powers, Australia and New Zealand, fear the creation of a mendicant state on their doorsteps, susceptible, in particular, to Chinese bribes and blandishments.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
Having failed to win the Japanese around with blandishments, an increasingly desperate-looking Senard has reached for the stick.
—Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for blandishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blandishment
Noun
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Keep reading for more of our favorite charming finds below—all under $30.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The charm and detachment, precision and fatigue, hope and disillusionment.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The decor There are lots of ways to bring southern charm to your party.—
Jennifer Fernandez,
Architectural Digest,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Rogan insisted a viral clip of Trump putting his hands on his shoulders at a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship wasn’t a tense exchange, but rather the president delivering good news about taking up the cause of psychedelic therapy research at Rogan’s urging.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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China’s major credit‑rating firms are set to meet next week to discuss quality issues at the urging of regulators, according to people familiar with the matter.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After the initial flattery, the tone shifts to isolating phrases.—
Kathy and Ross Petrass,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
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Our actual political landscape, in which government officials are adding journalists to top-secret group chats or running around in wrong-sized shoes as a form of flattery, has too far superseded anything even the most cutting jokester could ever have dreamed up.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But Epstein’s entreaties to Keita were not limited to business.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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On the demand of the Commons, Suffolk is exiled for his part in Gloucester’s death despite the queen’s entreaties to the king.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Checkers can see your shortcuts, your reportorial wheedling, your blind spots.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Passages range from the creation of the world to bloody battles and apocalyptic destruction, from exhortations to love of God, neighbor and the needy to passages telling of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
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But also as promised, the show was all about joy, optimism and self-belief, and if her monologues occasionally veered into self-care exhortations, that was perfectly on brand as well.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No coaxing or pulling from the crate.—
Cathy M. Rosenthal,
San Antonio Express-News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Hair that’s naturally less heavy can hold more shape and bounce when styling, but maintaining a full-bodied look might take some extra coaxing.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blandishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blandishment. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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