Synonyms for coax
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Wheedle — to wheedle or persuade (a person, organisation, animal etc.) gradually or by use of flattery to do something
wheedle, cajole, persuade, sweet-talk informal, seduce, entice, tease, butter up informal, trap, flatter, fawn, soft-soap, allure, blarney, inveigle, palaver, blandish, lure, tempt, beguile, tweedle dated, canoodle slang
2. Ease — to carefully manipulate (someone or something) into a particular desired state, situation or position
Definitions
- v. 1
To fondle, kid, pet, tease.
- v. 2
To wheedle or persuade (a person, organisation, animal etc.) gradually or by use of flattery to do something.
He coaxed the horse gently into the trailer.
- v. 3
To carefully manipulate (someone or something) into a particular desired state, situation or position.
They coaxed the rope through the pipe.
Related words
- Word family
- coaxer
- Phrases
- coax cable
- Is a kind of
- flatter persuade suck up
Forms
- Past participle
- coaxed
e.g. coaxed → wheedled, cajoled, persuaded, sweet-talked…
Choose the right word
Coax expresses the attraction of the person, not of the thing.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- seduce Robert tried to seduce Martha, but she rejected him.
- entice He hopes to entice her into doing what he wants.
- cajole He tried to cajole me into buying a candy bar for him.
- wheedle I tried to wheedle him into telling me the answer.
By length
- 4 letters
- trap1, ease1, lure1, fawn1
- 5 letters
- tease1, tempt1, grope1
- 6 letters
- seduce2, entice2, allure2, caress2, coddle2, cajole2, cosset2
- 7 letters
- flatter2, blarney, palaver, beguile2, tweedle2, wheedle
- 8 letters
- surprise2, persuade2, inveigle, canoodle, blandish
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (seduce2 = 2 syllables).