1
hunting
: a pond into which wildfowl are lured for capture
2
: someone or something used to lure or lead another into a trap
the commander of that sub … took us to be a decoy—
H. A. Chippendale
H. A. Chippendale
especially, hunting
: an artificial bird used to attract live birds within shot
3
: someone or something used to draw attention away from another
had a decoy distract the guard
decoyed; decoying; decoys
hunting
Synonyms
Examples of decoy in a Sentence
Noun
He had a decoy distract the guard while he jumped over the fence.
we set the decoy afloat in the marsh and from the blind waited for the ducks to arrive
Verb
tacky souvenir shops to which first-time tourists had been decoyed into spending their hard-earned money
Recent Examples on the Web
David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Display a decoy and use deer attractants to bring that mature buck into bow range.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024
Joe Arterburn, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
In the 1980s Stan Carlson, of Anoka, designed the Trojan Goose: a giant fiberglass Canada goose decoy that a single hunter could fit inside using a small, reclining chair.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decoy 
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Noun
Perhaps most notably, both sides deploy decoy vehicles—either inoperative derelicts or inflatable fakes—to draw enemy fire away from real vehicles.
—David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Display a decoy and use deer attractants to bring that mature buck into bow range.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Of course, different hunting conditions and different waterfowl species require unique decoying strategies.
—Joe Arterburn, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
In the 1980s Stan Carlson, of Anoka, designed the Trojan Goose: a giant fiberglass Canada goose decoy that a single hunter could fit inside using a small, reclining chair.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decoy
Dictionary Entries Near decoy
Cite this Entry
“Decoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decoy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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