as in bribes
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in soaks
to wet thoroughly with liquid
sopped the sponge with the detergent and began scrubbing the floor vigorously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wets
to make wet
my book fell in the swimming pool and was thoroughly sopped before I could fish it out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dips
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid
hesitant to sop his bread in gravy, no matter how delicious, at such a formal banquet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sops
Noun
-
As with other criminal syndicates, the cartel has long oiled the gears of corruption with bribes.—
Steve Fisher,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026 -
The casual acknowledgement of brushing off offers of bribes alarmed some Republican activists, who will endorse a candidate for governor at their state convention on May 16.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Water spread here soaks into the San Fernando Valley aquifer.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Keane soaks the broccoli rabe, blanches it and squeezes out the bitter liquid.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even a simple soaker hose is better than a sprinkler system that wets the foliage, which can make plants prone to blights and mildews.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Sweat that can’t escape wets a jacket’s layer of insulation and accelerates heat loss.—
Longji Cui,
The Conversation,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Chatting with the peddler Rutherford Selig (Bradley Stryker, enjoyably channeling Deadwood), Bynum casually unzips the surface of reality and dips into the waters below.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In a video taken at the King’s Gallery by Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English, Chatto and King Charles are seen greeting each other with a double cheek kiss, before Sarah dips into a curtsy for her cousin.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then there's the sun, whose light saturates the atmosphere from dawn until dusk, shielding the cosmos from our sight.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Otherwise, water saturates the soil and kills plants.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their gigantic bigotry drowns out their smaller accomplishments.—
Alan M. Dershowitz,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But the staggering amount of money poured into this club by BlueCo over the past three years drowns out all attempts at mitigation and erases all excuses.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Splashdown sends boats careening into a wall of water that drenches riders and onlookers alike, welcome relief in triple-digit heat.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Or, systemic insecticide treatments with dinotefuran or imidacloprid can be used as trunk sprays, trunk injections or soil drenches depending on the label.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When a body washes ashore in the Long Island vacation town of Amity, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) tries to close the beaches only to be overruled by the mayor, Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who fears the loss of tourist revenue.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
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The nonprofit has stepped in after numerous disasters, and washes loads for veterans and families living in cars and hotels.—
Kara Finnstrom,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Sops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sops. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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