inveigle

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inveigle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inveigle are decoy, entice, lure, seduce, and tempt. While all these words mean "to lead astray from one's true course," inveigle implies enticing by cajoling or flattering.

fund-raisers inveigling wealthy alumni

When is it sensible to use decoy instead of inveigle?

While in some cases nearly identical to inveigle, decoy implies a luring into entrapment by artifice.

attempting to decoy the enemy into an ambush

When might entice be a better fit than inveigle?

Although the words entice and inveigle have much in common, entice suggests drawing by artful or adroit means.

advertising designed to entice new customers

When could lure be used to replace inveigle?

The words lure and inveigle can be used in similar contexts, but lure implies a drawing into danger, evil, or difficulty through attracting and deceiving.

lured naive investors with get-rich-quick schemes

When is seduce a more appropriate choice than inveigle?

While the synonyms seduce and inveigle are close in meaning, seduce implies a leading astray by persuasion or false promises.

seduced by assurances of assistance

In what contexts can tempt take the place of inveigle?

The meanings of tempt and inveigle largely overlap; however, tempt implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of conscience or better judgment.

tempted by the offer of money

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 inveigle On hand for the séance is a thoroughly skeptical Poirot, inveigled to attend by a mystery-novelist friend, Ariadne Oliver. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 Norman Mailer tried to inveigle his dinner guests into an orgy, and not long after wrote a cruel letter to Styron, breaking off their friendship. Marion Winik, Washington Post, 15 June 2023 At a ball where Byron was surrounded by a flock of ladies, Lamb inveigled the hostess to introduce her, and, having looked earnestly, wordlessly, into the poet’s face, Lamb immediately turned on her heel. Clare McHugh, Washington Post, 28 May 2023 Another threat that is likely to inveigle itself into the Web3 domain is phishing. Andrew Newman, Forbes, 4 May 2022 All of those thinly veiled efforts to inveigle an answer are met with a stock response. New York Times, 26 Nov. 2021 To reach Peru, Dr. Koepcke had to first get to a port and inveigle his way onto a trans-Atlantic freighter. New York Times, 18 June 2021 The two cell-surface proteins that SARS-CoV-2 uses to make contact with its target cells and inveigle its way into them would fit into this category. The Economist, 20 Aug. 2020 And, finally, he is lost at the very end of the world when he is sent on to Edinburgh, to inveigle his way into the affections of the Scottish King James VI, poised to become the English King James I upon Elizabeth’s death. Dominic Dromgoole, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inveigle
Verb
  • Again, this is a case of humans using AI to persuade people to adopt their views rather than an indication that AI is extreme or prone to suggesting extreme ideas and behaviors.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Last week, Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, was at the White House to try to persuade the administration to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta.
    Cecilia Kang, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
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
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
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
Verb
  • 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
  • Again, Lewandowski is coming short and tempting the right-sided centre-back higher up the pitch.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Based on the Lee Child novels and developed by Nick Santora, Reacher is the kind of series that exemplifies the sleight of hand the TV medium does best, beguiling with one set of beckoning fingers while smuggling complex propaganda with the other.
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
  • One is a siren, the human-like creature with an enchanting voice that beguiled sailors to their watery death.
    Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike their more traditional competitors, the overall business model of Hungry Minds places a greater emphasis on e-commerce rather than brick and mortar stores, drawing in potential customers through Google and social media.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Dawn Staley and Vic Schaefer are deeply familiar with each other’s game, from annual draws in the SEC Tournament to the edge of the mountaintop in 2017’s national title tilt.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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