wheedling 1 of 2

noun

as in coaxing

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wheedling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wheedle
as in cajoling
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery wheedled him into doing their work for them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 wheedling
Noun
Checkers can see your shortcuts, your reportorial wheedling, your blind spots. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a bid to rekindle the couple’s honeymoon phase, Yasmin troubleshoots by wheedling a chief executive role for him at payment processing company Tender (run by Max Minghella‘s inscrutable puppet-master Whitney Halberstram), and throwing her husband a lavish costume party for his 40th birthday. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wheedling
  1. coaxing
  2. entreaty
  3. persuading
  4. exhortation
  5. inducement
  6. blandishment
  7. suasion
Noun
  • And honestly, this type of traveler doesn’t need the most coaxing to try out a cruise vacation.
    — Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • No coaxing or pulling from the crate.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of coaxing
Noun
  • Alicent makes similar entreaties to Rhaenyra, offering to divide the kingdom, with Aegon in charge of the stormlands, westerlands, the Reach and rule from Oldtown, with everything to the north going to Rhaenyra.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • These are the people who will likely be most amenable to negotiations or personal entreaties.
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 June 2026
Definition of entreaty
Noun
  • Goode needed no persuading about the beauty of animals like New Caledonian geckos, African bush vipers, Caribbean rock iguanas, and similar Cyclura.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Bisegna, who is 17 and more soft-spoken, took a little persuading.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 13 July 2026
Definition of persuading
Noun
  • The faith leader’s exhortation shows the depth of the divide in the Moskowitz-Larkin contest.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • While his exhortation left off Brady’s signature profane intensifier, the motivational gambit remained explicit even in the absence of the familiar F-bomb.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of exhortation
Noun
  • The House settlement authorizes the CSC to review NIL deals for evidence of possible recruiting inducements and similar forms of compensation used to sway where athletes decide to play.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • As an inducement to get votes from conservative rural congressional members, the OBBBA included a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, but this is substantially less money than the Medicaid cuts will total across rural America.
    — Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Definition of inducement
Noun
  • Impressed by the senator’s blandishments, the egoistic journalist argues military strategy and then faces a moment of conscience.
    — Armond White, National Review, 17 May 2023
  • People want to hear blandishments about engagement and infrastructure.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023
Definition of blandishment
Noun
  • All that remains may be the power of public suasion, but Gilead hasn’t demonstrated much sensitivity to such pressure.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • In some circumstances, moral suasion can also be effective.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of suasion

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wheedles
wheedling
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Cite this Entry

“Wheedling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wheedling. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wheedling

Nglish: Translation of wheedling for Spanish Speakers

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