coax

verb

ˈkōks How to pronounce coax (audio)
Definition of coaxnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb coax differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of coax are blandish, cajole, soft-soap, and wheedle. While all these words mean "to influence or persuade by pleasing words or actions," coax implies gentle and persistent words or actions employed to produce a desired effect.

coaxed the cat out of the tree

When could blandish be used to replace coax?

The meanings of blandish and coax largely overlap; however, blandish implies a more open desire to win a person over by effusive praise and affectionate actions.

legislators blandished with promises of support

Where would cajole be a reasonable alternative to coax?

In some situations, the words cajole and coax are roughly equivalent. However, cajole suggests the deliberate use of flattery to persuade in the face of reluctance or reasonable objections.

cajoled him into cheating on the final exam

When is it sensible to use soft-soap instead of coax?

Although the words soft-soap and coax have much in common, soft-soap refers to using smooth and somewhat insincere talk usually for personal gain.

politicians soft-soaping eligible voters

In what contexts can wheedle take the place of coax?

The words wheedle and coax are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, wheedle suggests more strongly than cajole the use of seductive appeal or artful words in persuading.

hucksters wheedling her life's savings out of her

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coax McLaren Vale is the variety’s spiritual home Down Under, with gnarly old vines and producers like Thistledown skilled at coaxing out Grenache’s plump berry, floral, and white pepper perfume and satiny texture. —Christina Pickard, Bon Appétit, 5 Mar. 2025 And still others were coaxed into Christendom, forced into routine prayer, church attendance, and adherence to other Christian tenets. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 The Wisconsin-Parkside commit coaxed a 4-3 putout after striking out the first eight batters. —Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025 After several seconds of coaxing, the snake catcher pulls the snake out. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coax
  1. cajole
  2. lure
  3. seduce
  4. entice
  5. wheedle
  6. woo
  7. urge
  8. beg
Verb
  • For those who haven’t had the pleasure of trying, cajoling sound out of a big shell isn’t easy.
    — Abby Levene, Outside Online, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The United States, under President George H. W. Bush and then President Bill Clinton, continually either encouraged or cajoled the parties toward an agreement without specifying what that endgame entailed.
    — Marwan Muasher, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2024
Definition of cajole
Verb
  • In Germany, phony emails containing QR codes lured eBanking customers to malicious websites under the guise of reviewing privacy policy updates to their accounts.
    — David G.W. Birch, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Most parents are looking for ways to lure their children away from TV and iPads.
    — Emily Edlynn, Parents, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of lure
Verb
  • Single women—more likely, naturally, to be seduced by the devil—were disproportionately executed for witchcraft.
    — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Definition of seduce
Verb
  • One reason is that in order to entice people to buy its stock, a company needs to offer potential shareholders something in return.
    — Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Those touches are some of the reasons that entice fans to buy from brands.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of entice
Verb
  • And yet, about four years ago, images of myself with flaxen hair started to wheedle their way into my brain and park there.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 4 Apr. 2025
  • And soon thereafter, the mirror image: Sparks switches from playing wheedling Jerry to playing upright Bram in a harrowing scene with Arnold.
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of wheedle
Verb
  • Plus, the new Joy-Con controllers can be used like a computer mouse, perhaps another indication that Nintendo is looking to woo the computer gaming crowd.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
  • CEOs like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg are rolling up their sleeves to personally woo AI stars, according to reports, and influential VC investors like Thrive Capital’s Joshua Kushner have had to run defense, seeking to persuade OpenAI employees of the economic advantage of staying put.
    — Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of woo
Verb
  • Advertisement Advertisement Police said the investigation remains open and urged anyone with relevant information to contact the force.
    — Time, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Mars in Cancer, Saturn in Pisces and Uranus in Taurus urge us to dream the impossible, realistic dream.
    — Lisa Stardust, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of urge
Verb
  • After all those heartfelt letters, begging her nephew to return home, Cara finally comes face-to-face with Spencer.
    — Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Tactility is a prominent feature in the collection; the pieces almost beg to be touched.
    — The New York Times, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of beg

Browse Nearby Words

coauthors
coax
coaxed
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Cite this Entry

“Coax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coax. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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