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

Examples 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
  • As Trump has threatened to increase tariffs on all Chinese imports, China agreeing to sell TikTok to a US buyer could help persuade Trump to diminish those blows, the thinking goes.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Sometimes, for example, rogue loan officers or real estate agents persuade an elderly homeowner to sign false loan documents and keep the proceeds for themselves.
    LEW SICHELMAN, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Film The Eternal Becoming of Sofia Coppola Soraya Roberts Like so many of her heroines, the director seduces to control.
    hazlitt.net, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Football had already seduced the teenager when the father of a friend, who was the quarterback for the Everett High School team in Massachusetts where Sainristil starred, pulled some union ties for the cemetery job.
    Ben Standig, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • With 18 seasons of NFL head coaching experience, a Super Bowl in 2013 with Seattle and a college football national championship in 2004 with USC, the winning pedigree could entice the front office to bring him in.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The nation’s flight and digital connectivity, coupled with its safe and attractive investment climate, is enticing a growing number of international investors to establish homes on the islands.
    Panorama Media Ltd., Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Geyser, along with her co-defendant Anissa Weier, lured Leutner into the woods during a sleepover in 2014 to play hide-and-seek.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The badgers are no longer gassed, they are mostly now lured into fields at night and shot by specialist teams of exterminators.
    Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The tax season hadn't even officially started in late December, but the TV ads already began tempting taxpayers with a free pitch to use the TurboTax app.
    Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Self has always done best turning four-stars into five-stars through development, but it’s been tempting the last two years to try to plug-and-play through the portal.
    CJ Moore, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Over the centuries, the fantastical beast has reportedly been sighted on several occasions — beguiling locals.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
  • While the home’s dramatic views and monumental forms beguiled visitors, Keeler, who had lived there since its completion, especially liked details like the silky redwood surfaces.
    Sam Lubell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The family dispute has now drawn in other relatives with divided opinions.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
  • That said, Davis is unquestionably one of the biggest draws in the sport and his pay-per-view totals are considerably higher than Crawford.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inveigle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inveigle. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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