sops 1 of 2

plural of sop
as in bribes
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

sops

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sop
1
2
3
as in dips
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid hesitant to sop his bread in gravy, no matter how delicious, at such a formal banquet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sops
Noun
  • To conceal the scheme and hide the bribes, prosecutors say, Zhu entered into a sham retainer agreement with Carone’s younger brother, Anthony Carone, 54, who is alleged to have laundered the payments through his law firm.
    Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 2 July 2026
  • Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens was indicted in November 2024 after two FBI agents posing as real estate developers offered bribes to him and the other officials to greenlight a development project.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • This antioxidant ingredient contains beta-glucan and soaks into the skin to smooth fine lines.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 26 June 2026
  • After baking, the cake (which starts with a white cake mix) gets poked all over and drizzled with frozen lemonade concentrate, which soaks into every crevice.
    Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • Unfortunately, that only wets the top quarter inch of soil—a feel-good move for gardeners but not for roots.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026
  • Another Pearl Girl wets herself when the Eyes come for Thalia.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • On The Porch There’s a particular kind of magic that comes when the sun dips below the treetops and the soundtrack of a summer evening fills the air—crickets, cicadas, and whip-poor-wills.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
  • The best times to drink coffee are mid-morning and early afternoon, when your energy naturally dips.
    Allison Forsyth, Health, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Then there's the sun, whose light saturates the atmosphere from dawn until dusk, shielding the cosmos from our sight.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Otherwise, water saturates the soil and kills plants.
    Midwest Living, Midwest Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Drenching the nest and surrounding area with water drowns workers and possibly the queen, which disrupts the colony.
    Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 10 June 2026
  • The more militants are killed, the deeper the city drowns in militant Shia iconography.
    Nabil Salih, Time, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • This outdoor garden pod has a floor-to-ceiling window that drenches the entire space in natural light.
    Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
  • Cinematographer Paul Guilhaume drenches the film in dark blues and grainy blacks, as deeply unsettling as Cristina’s canvases.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
Verb
  • The vacuum and mop combo is a hands-free robot that auto-empties dirt into a 3-liter bag, self-washes the mop rollers, and auto-refills the water chamber for the next cleaning session.
    Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
  • In the video, backed by champagne synths and hopscotching snares, a tuxedoed Jaeychino strolls the beach in Margiela sneakers, his jacket flapping in the wind as seafoam washes ashore.
    Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on sops

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!