as in bait
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
we set the decoy afloat in the marsh and from the blind waited for the ducks to arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to lure
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
tacky souvenir shops to which first-time tourists had been decoyed into spending their hard-earned money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decoy
Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
Their team is filled with attacking players who are quick to the ball, who can interchange positions, make decoy runs on his behalf and, in their most eye-catching moments, accelerate past opponents.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
TIME, 25 Mar. 2025
Just before Trump spoke with reporters, Russia launched 67 missiles and 194 actual and decoy drones targeting Ukraine—the primary goal: Ukraine’s natural gas infrastructure.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decoy
Noun
Several citizens have formed groups to carry out their own unofficial sting operations, which often involve a member of the group posing as a decoy minor.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
Their team is filled with attacking players who are quick to the ball, who can interchange positions, make decoy runs on his behalf and, in their most eye-catching moments, accelerate past opponents.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Russian forces launched one ballistic missile and 139 long-range strike and decoy drones into Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.
—TIME, 25 Mar. 2025
Just before Trump spoke with reporters, Russia launched 67 missiles and 194 actual and decoy drones targeting Ukraine—the primary goal: Ukraine’s natural gas infrastructure.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decoy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decoy
Noun
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So, there also might be less hesitation to cut bait with a player taken under Jerod Mayo’s regime, even with Eliot Wolf still in his role as executive vice president of player personnel.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
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Where Democrats have fallen short is taking the bait and falling into the trap and debating whether or not trans people have a right to exist and instead of just saying this is not a decision for politicians in Washington.—
Charlotte Alter,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In Germany, phony emails containing QR codes lured eBanking customers to malicious websites under the guise of reviewing privacy policy updates to their accounts.—
David G.W. Birch,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Most parents are looking for ways to lure their children away from TV and iPads.—
Emily Edlynn,
Parents,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Category extension: Beyond time pieces, time objects Being resilient also means finding new ways to be relevant for consumers who might have an abundant watch collection and might be much more difficult to tempt with new ones.—
Stéphane JG Girod,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Again, Lewandowski is coming short and tempting the right-sided centre-back higher up the pitch.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Single women—more likely, naturally, to be seduced by the devil—were disproportionately executed for witchcraft.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
2 Apr. 2025
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Taking over a century-old garden house hidden within Shanghai’s storied alleys, Samuel Gui Yang softly partitioned the space, seducing the audience yet making every one of them a clandestine voyeur.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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One reason is that in order to entice people to buy its stock, a company needs to offer potential shareholders something in return.—
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
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Those touches are some of the reasons that entice fans to buy from brands.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Again, this is a case of humans using AI to persuade people to adopt their views rather than an indication that AI is extreme or prone to suggesting extreme ideas and behaviors.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Edwards said the heaviest charges may have been included as a scare tactic to try and persuade Read to take a plea deal.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoy. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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