coax
verb (used with object)
to influence or persuade to do something by gentle urging, smooth talk, flattery, etc..
were coaxing
-
past progressiveof coax.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It came to him, as if he were coaxing it out of the soil.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2020
They were coaxing her to just plead guilty to the charges.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2019
Here in Paris, there is a special mothering comfort, delight, and fulfillment for me, as if the real mother, with her mother tongue and mother heart, were coaxing me forward.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 2, 2016
The Wright brothers were coaxing their first plane into brief and tentative flights over the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Goldfish,” he was say-ing softly, as if he were coaxing his fish to swim.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
