Definition of sopnext
as in bribe
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement

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sop

2 of 2

verb

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 sop
Noun
The implication is that the Republican tax reform was intended as a sop to the rich and designed to favor only the president’s supporters. — Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026 This was seen as a sop to the luxury sector of manufacturers like Ferrari, Aston Martin, Volkswagen’s Bentley and Lamborghini. — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Drying off won’t leave these absorbent towels sopping wet. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026 In the away end, on this putrid, sopping evening in N17, the bigger picture is steamrolled by the small. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sop
Noun
  • The state attorney general was accused of accepting bribes and abusing his office to help a political donor whom the FBI was investigating.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors accused Smith and at least 26 other named defendants of wagering millions of dollars and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to players in bribes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory Thursday as rain and king tides are forecast to soak South Florida.
    — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Paltrow has described her own approach as more restrained, with dry-brushing before heat and a 20-minute warm bath soak most evenings.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • One of these chambers contains a disc of fabric that is pre-wetted with water, one contains a foaming agent made up of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium bicarbonate (the main component of baking soda), and one contains a drop of eye medication.
    — Ben Coxworth October 23, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Per a guide from Nectr, saliva wets the pouch and releases its ingredients, and how much is actually absorbed depends on the formulation and how the pouch is used.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As for gas, it has usually been treated as a waste product to be burned off; because there are so few pipelines to bring it to market, West Texas gas prices have even dipped negative this year.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Uncover dough, dip your hand in water and stretch one side of dough up and over to meet opposite side; turn bowl 90°.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Equally weighting stocks ensures companies in smaller industries aren’t drowned out by massive ones, like Big Tech.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Other components in blood can produce stronger signals that drown them out, according to a scientific review published in Applied Spectroscopy.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Airbnb guests can say goodbye to checkout chores like washing dishes, stripping beds and taking out the trash under a new policy announced this week.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • An employee handled dirty utensils and dishes with gloves on and later handled clean dishes with those same gloves without washing hands in between.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Beigel, who previously worked with FBI officers while helming the ESPN 30for30 documentary The Counterfeiter, spent approximately three years immersing himself in the Loofe case.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Doherty, reconnecting with Scotland during visits to see his mother, immersed himself in gritty British cinema by filmmakers Shane Meadows and Ken Loach, as well as music by Massive Attack, Siouxsie and the Banshees and PJ Harvey.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Colors were suitably accurate and nicely saturated, and the image offered good contrast across the board from dark to bright scenes, along with impressively good shadow detail and a sense of three-dimensionality in dark scenes.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That translated into a vibrant palette of rock ‘n roll, soul, metal, hip-hop, and of course the rich Seattle sound that saturates daily life for Jones.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 23 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sop. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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