coax
1to influence or persuade to do something by gentle urging, smooth talk, flattery, etc.: He tried to coax her to sing, but she refused.
to obtain by coaxing: We coaxed the secret from him.
to manipulate to a desired end by adroit handling or persistent effort: He coaxed the large chair through the door.
Obsolete.
to fondle.
to fool; deceive.
to use gentle persuasion.
Origin of coax
1Other words from coax
- coax·er, noun
Words Nearby coax
Other definitions for coax (2 of 2)
Origin of coax
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use coax in a sentence
I was glad his mother had joined the call, because she, in her pride, coaxed out the stories where he was perhaps too humble to tell them.
My mother and her friends couldn’t get coronavirus vaccine appointments, so they turned to a stranger for help. He’s 13. | Greg Harris | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostClumpner and Benvenuto in 2019 cited Vancouver’s then 2-year-old vacancy tax, which has since been tripled after the initial rate hadn’t coaxed landlords to fill as many units as hoped.
Vacancy Tax Study Is Giving City Officials Déjà Vu | Lisa Halverstadt and Andrew Keatts | February 10, 2021 | Voice of San DiegoSnyder has brilliantly played to his players’ strengths and worked around their weaknesses, coaxing a nice bounce-back campaign from Mike Conley while maintaining a positive power dynamic between Donovan Mitchell and Gobert.
The front-runners for NBA awards aren’t the usual suspects | Ben Golliver | February 1, 2021 | Washington PostOne group recently coaxed vacuum bubble-like behavior out of a simple simulation.
Physicists Study How Universes Might Bubble Up and Collide | Charlie Wood | January 25, 2021 | Quanta MagazineI’m guessing some combination of a famous personality, a classic dish and, well, a darn good sauce, coaxed into rich, silken luxury over two-plus hours of cook time.
Find out why Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguignon is one of our most popular recipes ever | Becky Krystal | January 20, 2021 | Washington Post
The congregation was warm, friendly, and welcoming—traits, he says, he later came to believe they used to coax members in.
And of course Baelish materialized (at just the right moment) to save Sansa and coax Lysa away from the ledge.
Game of Thrones’ Ep. 7 ‘Mockingbird’ Recap: Conscious Coupling (and Uncoupling) | Andrew Romano | May 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEven after all the heroes are gone, it lays dormant, waiting for light to coax it out of the shadows.
Homestar Runner, Trogdor the Burninator, and the Birth of the Internet | Rich Goldstein | April 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSo instead of tapping into spare capacity, Uber had to coax new capacity into being.
He tried to coax the distraught girl out of silence, inquiring about her school and family life, but her replies were clipped.
How One Sex Abuse Case Tore Apart the Williamsburg Hasidim | Allison Yarrow | August 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTBut he soon got over his fear, and was so busy feeding the elephant, that his papa had to coax him away.
The Nursery, July 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 1 | VariousSue drew Tessa aside to coax in her plaintively miserable voice, Come home with me; father will say things, and I shall be afraid.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. DrinkwaterThe doctors said we must take the child away, if we would coax her back to health and strength again.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)Dont lets overeat, said Tootles seriously, trying to coax forth a smile.
The Woman Gives | Owen JohnsonHere, you take hold of the chain, and I will coax the dog to be quiet while I put Jacko on his back.
Minnie's Pet Monkey | Madeline Leslie
British Dictionary definitions for coax (1 of 2)
/ (kəʊks) /
to seek to manipulate or persuade (someone) by tenderness, flattery, pleading, etc
(tr) to obtain by persistent coaxing
(tr) to work on or tend (something) carefully and patiently so as to make it function as one desires: he coaxed the engine into starting
(tr) obsolete to caress
(tr) obsolete to deceive
Origin of coax
1Derived forms of coax
- coaxer, noun
- coaxingly, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for coax (2 of 2)
/ (ˈkəʊæks) /
short for coaxial cable
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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