coax
verb
\ ˈkōks
\
\
coaxed;
coaxing;
coaxes
Definition of coax
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to influence or gently urge by caressing or flattering : wheedle
coaxed him into going
2
: to draw, gain, or persuade by means of gentle urging or flattery
unable to coax an answer out of him coaxing consumers to buy new cars
3
: to manipulate with great perseverance and usually with considerable effort toward a desired state or activity
coax a fire to burn is optimistic that stem cells can be coaxed into growing into replacement tissue for failing organs
coax
noun
co·ax
| \ ˈkō-ˌaks
\
\
Definition of coax (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for coax
Synonyms: Verb
blandish, blarney, cajole, palaver, soft-soap, sweet-talk, wheedle
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Examples of coax in a Sentence
Verb
It took almost an hour to coax the cat down from the tree. She tried to coax a raise from her boss. He was unable to coax an answer out of her. He coaxed the fire to burn by blowing on it. The plant is difficult to coax into bloom.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Others made public for the first time their heartbreaking accounts of being coaxed into his grip, only to experience rape and other forms of physical and emotional manipulation. — Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, "Jeffrey Epstein's accusers had their day in court, but not in the way they had hoped for," 27 Aug. 2019 These cells are remarkably flexible; under the right conditions, they can be coaxed to develop into many other types of cells in the body. — Emily Baumgaertner, latimes.com, "When it comes to disease, stem cells are a game-changer, scientists say. This is why," 27 June 2019 Once again, he's coaxed stellar performances from a couple of seniors who are playing the best ball of their careers – Duncan Robinson and Rahkman. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State basketball has better record; Michigan has better team," 3 Mar. 2018 Infrastructure is desperately needed for Russia to coax more traffic through its Northern Sea Route — a shipping lane that historically requires an icebreaker to traverse for much of the year. — NBC News, "Russia's 'floating Chernobyl' nuclear plant begins voyage north," 23 Aug. 2019 Marium quickly became a conservation sensation, drawing internet users to a livestream of her 15 daily feedings and coaxing locals to the shores of her home on Ko Libong. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "A Beloved Baby Dugong Has Died After Ingesting Plastic," 19 Aug. 2019 At the core of these convictions is the controversial idea, formally proposed by Rosemary Basson of the University of British Columbia in 2002, that many women may not experience spontaneous arousal and instead need some coaxing to feel amorous. — Emily Willingham, Scientific American, "Testosterone Therapy Can Restore Women’s Libido—but Questions Remain," 30 July 2019 As examples of his sway, Alberta wrote that Pence coaxed Trump not to move on, but to try again, after the House initially rejected a bill to repeal Obamacare. — Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, "Book describes Mike Pence's evolution into Trump's bootlicking `Bobblehead'," 26 July 2019 Wallace is shown interviewing everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Vladimir Putin, coaxing the Russian president to respond to a question in perfect English. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Mike Wallace is Here' presents legendary CBS newsman in his own words," 25 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Use the least amount of coax cable to reach from your antenna or splitter to each TV. — Jim Rossman, Dallas News, "Splitting your antenna to feed multiple TVs might require an amplifier," 20 June 2019 To it all work, Daytona put in 1.3 million feet of copper wiring, 500,000 feet of coax and 150 miles of fiberoptics, including more than 75 telecommunication rooms to house the CDW storage and networking solutions. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "The Tech-Forward Reinvention of Daytona Speedway," 15 Feb. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coax.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for coax
coax
verb
English Language Learners Definition of coax
: to influence or persuade (a person or animal) to do something by talking in a gentle and friendly way
: to get (something) by talking in a gentle and friendly way
: to cause (something) to do something by making a careful and continual effort
See the full definition for coax in the English Language Learners Dictionary
coax
verb
\ ˈkōks
\
\
coaxed;
coaxing
Kids Definition of coax
1
: to influence by gentle urging, special attention, or flattering
She coaxed her kitty out of the tree.
2
: to get or win by means of gentle urging or flattery
He coaxed a raise from the boss.