Inveigle

To inveigle means to persuade someone to do something, often through flattery, deception, or subtle maneuvering. It implies a crafty and manipulative approach, usually aimed at gaining an advantage or securing something desired. The act often involves a degree of trickery or cunning, exploiting another person's weaknesses or desires. Inveigling suggests a calculated effort to win someone over, frequently by disguising one's true intentions or by playing upon someone's vulnerabilities to achieve a specific, often self-serving, goal.

Inveigle meaning with examples

• The ambitious intern tried to inveigle her boss into giving her the lead on the project by showering him with compliments and offering to work extra hours. Her aim was to demonstrate her capability, hoping to secure a promotion and expand her responsibilities. Success depended on her skillfully concealing her ambition while appearing dedicated and supportive of the team's mission.
• The con artist worked hard to inveigle elderly people out of their savings, using sob stories and false promises of enormous returns on investments to gain their trust. His ultimate goal was to profit financially from their generosity, making his behavior morally reprehensible and illegal.
• Using a carefully crafted argument and persuasive rhetoric, the politician managed to inveigle enough voters to support the controversial bill, even though it was initially unpopular. He focused on presenting it in a way which addressed public concerns, hoping to garner support from a broad spectrum of voters.
• The detective meticulously gathered information to inveigle the suspect into confessing, subtly manipulating the interrogation by playing on his guilt and building trust before revealing crucial evidence. Success depended on a skillful understanding of human psychology and the use of strategic questioning.
• The child, eager to get the last cookie, tried to inveigle their parents with promises of good behavior and completing all their chores without complaint for the rest of the day. Her intention was to utilize this bargaining to acquire the treat by manipulating the emotions of her parents.