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
The Rafael Devers blockbuster is probably the biggest deal that will go down, but the temptation is there to ponder other earthshaking possibilities, no matter how remote.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 July 2025
By the halfway point, when the vampy, non-comic villainess Spider Lady (Carol Forman) takes over the narrative, the plot gets repetitive and the temptation to skip over the next few Saturday screenings becomes overpowering.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
There is temptation to place every debut, along with every conductor invited back to the Bowl, as a potential candidate for the long list, short list or whatever list to be the L.A. Phil’s next music director after Dudamel departs for New York next year.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
There is a temptation, less today than in the past, to glorify war while glossing over or ignoring the inherent brutality of the practice of organized killing of opposing armed forces, plus civilians.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 July 2025
By the halfway point, when the vampy, non-comic villainess Spider Lady (Carol Forman) takes over the narrative, the plot gets repetitive and the temptation to skip over the next few Saturday screenings becomes overpowering.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
There is temptation to place every debut, along with every conductor invited back to the Bowl, as a potential candidate for the long list, short list or whatever list to be the L.A. Phil’s next music director after Dudamel departs for New York next year.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
There is a temptation, less today than in the past, to glorify war while glossing over or ignoring the inherent brutality of the practice of organized killing of opposing armed forces, plus civilians.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for temptation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temptation
Noun
-
The film follows detective Nick Curran (Douglas) investigating a brutal murder that leads him into a dangerous game of seduction with prime suspect Catherine Tramell (Stone), a manipulative crime novelist.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
17 July 2025
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To talk about Lyne is to talk about seduction of the flesh, of the image, of aspiration.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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More: The lure of true crime: Why Kentucky can’t let go of the Crystal Rogers case This is a breaking story and will update.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
8 July 2025
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Hao, the head of talent, suggested another emotional lure that may have helped the movie succeed.—
Joshua Hunt,
Vulture,
5 June 2025
Noun
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As an example, traditional regulatory efforts tend to be seen as restrictive, while industrial policy typically incorporates enabling incentives to stimulate private or public sector action.—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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Those higher prices give ranchers more incentive to sell cows now to capture profits instead of hanging onto them for breeding given that prices in the years ahead may decrease, Anderson said.—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Temptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temptation. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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