INTRIGUES Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

intrigues 1 of 2

noun

plural of intrigue

as in conspiracies

a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends the intrigue was quickly discovered, and the would-be assassins were arrested

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intrigues

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of intrigue

as in plots

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends evidence that the leading manufacturers had intrigued to keep prices artificially high

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in interests

to hold the attention of the mystery story intrigued me so that I read it in one sitting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of intrigues

Noun

If any of that intrigues you, perhaps add a Manukora manuka honey kit to your cart this season. — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Nov. 2025 Dallas has hosted on Thanksgiving every year but two since 1966, and this latest matchup intrigues despite the mediocre records on both sides. — Miami Herald, 25 Nov. 2025 Roshanara became Aurangzeb’s informant, keeping him apprised of court intrigues and politics. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2026 Plus the balcony is useful for intrigues and gossiping about the people below, as seen at Lady Danbury’s ball in season one of Bridgerton. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026 Even when insulted or thwarted – by Spanish intrigues on the Florida frontier, by British seizures in the Caribbean, by pamphleteers accusing him of being a monarch in disguise – Washington’s tone remained measured. — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026 In The Corner That Held Them, rarely does desire raise its head as the nuns busy themselves with dishonest bishops, honest con men, collapsing spires, inconclusive visions, ecclesiastical intrigues, catty infighting, attempts at levitation, and the plague. — Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026 The rich textures and thick ambiance of The Eyes of Others are pure high modernist 1960s Italian cinema, but De Sica unfurls the film’s winding intrigues with a contemporary sense of suspense, carnality, and visual boldness. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026 Netflix announced a second melodrama last December, about the secrets and intrigues of an elite Rio de Janeiro family, created in partnership with Amaia Produções and Conspiração, with general direction by Mauro Mendonça Filho. — John Hopewell, Variety, 25 May 2026

Verb

All of these have a spiritual edge to them that intrigues me, too. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 15 Dec. 2025 The menu has a lot of delicious choices, but the one that intrigues my girlfriend is their overnight oat bowl. — C.w. Cameron, AJC.com, 1 Feb. 2026 What about these communities intrigues you and why set the story in that location? — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 That’s what intrigues them about coming to work for a large company that’s constantly evolving. — Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026 The allure of fame certainly intrigues, but the financial potential remains hard to ignore. — Jacqueline Jevtich, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 What intrigues you about circling back to the original Power world and that complicated dynamic with Tariq? — Derek Lawrence, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2025 The essential nature of magic especially intrigues physicists like Swingle, who hope to use it on a quantum computer to simulate how gravity behaves in situations where general relativity fails. — Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026 Diggs, who intrigues Hafley with his length and size, wore a wristband with play calls on it during the game to help, and Hafley said safeties Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard can guide Diggs on the field, too. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intrigues

Noun

The series blends crime procedural elements with the spiritual and cultural landscape of the Navajo reservation as the officers investigate brutal murders connected to larger conspiracies.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Season 3 finds Ferguson's Juliette seeking answers to her experiences outside the silo and the conspiracies that led to their dystopian world.

— Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026

Definition of conspiracies

Verb

While Burnham plots his next move, the UK government now enters a new period of uncertainty, potentially facing a sixth prime minister in seven years.

— Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
An engineer plots a well’s falling output, fits a curve, and projects it forward.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026

Definition of plots

Verb

These are novels about bohemian communities of friends and lovers and artistic collaborators, which is a big part of what interests me about AIDS activism.

— Sarah Schulman, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
What interests me more is what has changed, which is the very substance of capital.

— Sergey Stopnevich, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of interests

Noun

Twelve hundred conceptual categories showed up in just 490 papers and nowhere in the formal schemes, clustered in environmental drivers and ecological processes.

— John Drake, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
New York officials say the unit is a national leader that targets complex, high-impact corporate schemes, and Attorney General Letitia James vows legal action, calling the cutoff an outrageous political attack.

— Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of schemes

Noun

Plots and machinations have been set in motion in King’s Landing as well, where Alicent conspires against her own sons, sending Aemond out of the city and paving the way for Rhaenyra to take the city.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Elmosnino is an amusing villain, making his most self-serving machinations sound reasonable.

— Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of machinations

Verb

This exercise immerses you in the outdoors and encourages you to appreciate even the smallest patches of green.

— Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Camping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is an otherworldly experience that immerses you in thousands of years of natural history.

— Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026

Definition of immerses

Verb

The show’s most memorable vignette centers on Thomas Cole’s Course of Empire, a suite of five paintings made between 1833 and 1836 that occupies a large corner at the back of the exhibition.

— Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
The primary suite occupies its own wing and comes complete with dual baths — one with stone and steam, the other with a soaking tub — a sun deck and private coffee bar.

— Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Definition of occupies

Browse Nearby Words

intriguers

intrigues

intriguing

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“Intrigues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intrigues. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of intrigues

noun

verb

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