bribe

1 of 2

noun

ˈbrīb How to pronounce bribe (audio)
Synonyms of bribe
1
: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust
police officers accused of taking bribes
2
: something that serves to induce or influence
offered the kid a bribe to finish his homework

bribe

2 of 2

verb

bribed; bribing

transitive verb

: to influence the judgment or conduct of (someone) with or as if with offers of money or favor : to induce or influence by or as if by bribery
attempting to bribe a judge
bribing a child with candy

intransitive verb

: to practice bribery
bribable
ˈbrī-bə-bəl How to pronounce bribe (audio)
adjective
bribee
ˌbrī-ˈbē How to pronounce bribe (audio)
noun
briber noun

Synonyms of bribe

Relevance

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bribe in a Sentence

Noun I offered the children a bribe for finishing their homework. that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant Verb She was arrested for attempting to bribe a judge. They bribed him to keep quiet about the incident. We bribed the children with candy.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Beasley, for his part, allegedly received bribes to pay off his debts. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 June 2026 For every official who accepts a bribe, there is someone who paid it. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026
Verb
In exchange, the indictment said, the bettors bribed Beasley and his debts to Davis were reduced or eliminated. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Andrew openly discussed bribing law-enforcement officials in War Room chats, and bragged on social media about his connections. — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bribe

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, morsel given to a beggar, bribe, from Anglo-French, morsel

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of bribe was in the 15th century

Rhymes for bribe

See All Rhymes for bribe

Browse Nearby Words

bribable
bribe
bribee
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bribe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bribe

1 of 2 noun
ˈbrīb How to pronounce bribe (audio)
: something given or promised to a person in order to influence a decision or action dishonestly

bribe

2 of 2 verb
bribed; bribing
: to influence or try to influence by a bribe
bribable
ˈbrī-bə-bəl How to pronounce bribe (audio)
adjective
briber noun

Legal Definition

bribe

1 of 2 noun
: a benefit (as money) given, promised, or offered in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust (as an official or witness) compare kickback

bribe

2 of 2 transitive verb
bribed; bribing
: to influence (a person) by giving a bribe

More from Merriam-Webster on bribe

Nglish: Translation of bribe for Spanish Speakers

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