1
as in lure
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
cheese is the traditional bait for trapping mice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temptation
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
the promise of free vacation is surefire bait to get people to agree to be chaperones for school trips
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
I wished the candidates would stop baiting each other and instead address the real issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
the investment scheme cunningly baits the greedy and the unscrupulous
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bait
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily and marking a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
The Nuggets were so red-hot, even Nikola Jokic’s off-balance attempt to bait his way to the foul line for three shots went in.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Noun
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily, a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily and marking a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
Allies and critics alike say that Zelenskyy was baited into the argument.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
The Nuggets were so red-hot, even Nikola Jokic’s off-balance attempt to bait his way to the foul line for three shots went in.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait
Noun
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Heavy line, light lure — how much of my life does that sum up?—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Classified as a lipless crankbait, the lure is also very versatile.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Making savings automatic helps remove the temptation to dip into those funds.—
Letitia Berbaum,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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The native of New York was the portrait of the struggling artist who bounced from small gigs to part-time jobs just to pay the rent, all the while pushing back the temptation to end the dream.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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That didn’t stop the state Democratic Party from taunting the freshman congressman with a news release hours before the event that asked why Evans wouldn’t conduct the town hall in person.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
2 Apr. 2025
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But one night in Bakersfield, taunts turned into a full-out brawl in the stands.—
Laurence Miedema,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Category extension: Beyond time pieces, time objects Being resilient also means finding new ways to be relevant for consumers who might have an abundant watch collection and might be much more difficult to tempt with new ones.—
Stéphane JG Girod,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Again, Lewandowski is coming short and tempting the right-sided centre-back higher up the pitch.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Man traps woman in car for days: Police A Hawaii man was arrested for allegedly trapping an elderly woman in her car for several days and later forcing her to withdraw money from her bank account, according to the Honolulu Police Department.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2025
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In one scene from their lives, a bear trap is intentionally left for Benjy to wander into it.—
Justin Porter,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The monkeys did it Since the very first episode, people online have been speculating that the monkeys often seen in ambient shots of Thailand’s nature are to blame for the ultimate shootout teased in this season’s opening scene.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
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Along with Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters and Gillian Anderson’s characters are teased in the minute-and-a-half-long trailer, which also features a voice appearance from Bridges.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Single women—more likely, naturally, to be seduced by the devil—were disproportionately executed for witchcraft.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
2 Apr. 2025
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Taking over a century-old garden house hidden within Shanghai’s storied alleys, Samuel Gui Yang softly partitioned the space, seducing the audience yet making every one of them a clandestine voyeur.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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On their second album, Illuminator, the Brooklyn quintet plays trembling space rock with airy, psych-pop hooks that recall the Cure, Spiritualized, and Spacemen 3.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
4 Apr. 2025
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The side shelf has built-in tool hooks and multiple shelves, giving you room to store all your must-have ingredients.—
Christopher Murray,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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