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
  • Few modern artists do so much to persuade us that creative endeavor is a struggle—an anxious wrestling with the stubborn materials to hand, and a determination to plow on.
    Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Will that be enough to persuade these justices to strike down Tennessee’s law?
    Ian Millhiser, Vox, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Cruel Intentions follows the elite students of Manchester College, where two ruthless step-siblings will do anything to stay on top of the cutthroat social hierarchy, including seducing the daughter of the vice-president of the United States.
    Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Police later learned that the prisoners had seduced the seamstress as a part of their escape plot.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • While defensive coordinators certainly focus on Jeanty, the reciever believes teams are also enticed by the opportunity to dash the running back's Heisman Trophy dreams.
    Chantz Martin, Fox News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • By not coming to the region, Smith said Harris and Trump missed an opportunity to hear local concerns and entice local voters to go to the polls.
    Terry Collins, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Over the past two years, there have been episodic reports of Cuban, Indian, and Nepalese soldiers and volunteers lured to fight for Russia.
    Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Similarly, Indian nationals are said to have been lured to Russia to work various jobs in services, before being sent to the frontlines.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • During the holiday season, we are presented with a myriad of tempting foods—much of which is unhealthy and can deplete our energy.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Heidi Klum as the Garden of Eden in 2006 Among Klum's more inspired Halloween costume ideas, the model dressed as the apple and serpent that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
    Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Donald Trump capitalized on this phenomenon, offering a fever dream of American carnage that beguiled many people into his camp.
    Jamil Zaki, TIME, 23 Nov. 2024
  • Monroe has to slowly tilt from being beguiled and intrigued by Stevens to totally terrified by him, and her ability to pull it off while explosions and gun battles are going on around her sells the film’s tonal shifts perfectly.
    Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 12 July 2024
Verb
  • Throw this beautifully soft merino wool scarf on when the days get chillier or the nights draw in.
    Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Two types of people will go and see Gladiator II: those drawn in by a dreamy cast—Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington—and the history buffs who can’t resist a period epic.
    Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Inveigle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inveigle. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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