1
as in seduction
the pressure to give in to a desire for easy or immediate pleasure
he felt the temptation to go sailing, but did his chores instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in lure
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
money, power, and other overwhelming temptations can seduce a person to a life of crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of temptation
Electronics Keeping your phone or laptop on the nightstand is a sleep-robbing temptation.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
Picking up the pace and attacking earlier in the clock will also limit the temptation to be a stagnant one-man show on offense.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Cook has avoided that temptation, but a new CEO could bring a new point of view.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
The businesses that stay relevant are usually the ones that resist the temptation to optimize every rough edge away.
—Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
Picking up the pace and attacking earlier in the clock will also limit the temptation to be a stagnant one-man show on offense.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Cook has avoided that temptation, but a new CEO could bring a new point of view.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
The businesses that stay relevant are usually the ones that resist the temptation to optimize every rough edge away.
—Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
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Judge Jeffrey Clymer sentenced McCoy to 5 years on the child seduction charge, but suspended 3 1/2 years to be served on probation.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Trust your powers of seduction.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Over the past half century, the federal government has been trying to persuade Americans to build savings to cover their retirement, and to supplement Social Security, using tax breaks as a lure.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Just how Canneseries achieved this says much about the lure of Cannes and a screening in the 2,300-seat Grand Theatre Lumière, one of the most iconic cinemas in the world.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There are no performance incentive payments or cost-of-living increase for senior leadership in the current fiscal year, according to a budget overview, and no incentive payments for anyone in the coming fiscal year starting July 1.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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In 2022, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to adopt an equity performance incentive, explicitly holding the system accountable for reaching low-income households, renters, and communities of color.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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