as in to cajole
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
trying to coax their father into taking them on a ski trip, the teens mentioned what a great skier he is
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of coax
At that time, exchanges that were shared on Instagram and WhatsApp seemed to suggest the designer was trying to coax racy pictures from the youth.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
As the law student coaxes the older sister to give herself up to him, the younger one lies in her bed with her sheets covering her face, not quite obscuring her eyes.
—Victoria Uren, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Nonetheless, Dave coaxes Tom stick around after Anne goes to bed.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025
With some creative thinking – and the help of a rotisserie chicken – the team successfully coaxed Barry into coming out from his bear cave, according to CNN affiliate KCAL.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coax
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
As the law student coaxes the older sister to give herself up to him, the younger one lies in her bed with her sheets covering her face, not quite obscuring her eyes.
—Victoria Uren, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Nonetheless, Dave coaxes Tom stick around after Anne goes to bed.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025
With some creative thinking – and the help of a rotisserie chicken – the team successfully coaxed Barry into coming out from his bear cave, according to CNN affiliate KCAL.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coax
Verb
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Drunk girls traded compliments in line for the bathroom while staffers trying to prevent fire hazards cajoled people to dance in their seats instead of the aisles.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
6 Mar. 2025
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Hamas agreed to restart the releases after threats from President Donald Trump and Israeli officials, and cajoling from Arab leaders and intermediaries.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Epstein, a billionaire, had legitimate business and social meetings on the island that were unrelated to his attempts to lure underage girls.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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They were formally indicted last year, accused of being part of a criminal organization that exploited women after luring them to Romania.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Cruz, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (2009) Woody Allen's romantic comedy stars Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson as friends who travel to Spain and are seduced by a local painter (Javier Bardem).—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
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Cookbook authors suggested preparing French food at home to seduce a lover.—
Rachel Hope Cleves / Made by History,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But the black-and-white film about two Black couples, played by the same actors, living in Chicago during two different time periods, didn’t entice distributors.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
28 Feb. 2025
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Instead, General Catalyst is in rapid expansion mode — trying to build the sort of diversified, fee-generating asset base that would entice Wall Street analysts to use firms like Blackstone as comps.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Then Fleischmann, after attending a particularly high-spirited wedding, regained his confidence and wheedled an additional investment from his family.—
David Remnick,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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Fall sustains many tonal expectations of the road-trip comedy and the coming-of-age tale, to startling effect, as Doe and Muna lie, steal, and wheedle their way through Turkey to reach the border.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But the film shares a dark sense of humor with Billy Wilder's Irma La Douce, in which Jack Lemmon's disgraced cop, Nestor, disguises himself as wealthy Englishman Lord X to woo prostitute Irma La Douce (Shirley MacLaine).—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Columbus software startups have a new local angel investment fund to woo.—
Andrew King,
Axios,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Even before the Irish journalist Fintan O’Toole urged his government to steal American scientists, Bromberg had already researched the cost of moving Gatsby, her 70-pound dog, from Columbus to Dublin: $8,000, or about one-quarter of a typical annual graduate salary.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
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Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Cal Fire captain begged for mercy during slaying captured on video, officials say.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
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My agent was the one who pretty much begged me to just go out and try it and audition.—
Katie Arnold-Ratliff,
Curbed,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coax. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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