decoy
noun
, di-ˈkȯi
\
Definition of decoy
(Entry 1 of 2)
decoy
verb
, ˈdē-ˌkȯi
\
Definition of decoy (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for decoy
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
allure, bait, beguile, betray, entice, lead on, lure, seduce, solicit, tempt
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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 arriveVerb
tacky souvenir shops to which first-time tourists had been decoyed into spending their hard-earned money
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
To see women as innocent wallflowers in need of protection could prove a deadly mistake when women were serving as smugglers, scouts, decoys, insurgents, and combatants; ignore them at your peril. — Brenda Wineapple, The New Republic, "Who wrote women out of Civil War history?," 16 Aug. 2019 Speaking of phonies, the BBC reports that Hong Kong is creating decoy protesters: Hong Kong police have admitted deploying officers disguised as anti-government protesters during mass unrest that rocked the city on Sunday. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Amazon’s Twitter ambassadors are blurring the line between fact and fiction," 16 Aug. 2019 Rather than make a fuss, the family has planned an elaborate wedding for Billi’s cousin Hao Hao (Han Chen), as a decoy reason to travel to Nai Nai’s hometown of Changchun. — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "Lulu Wang Had to Fight To Make Her Version Of The Farewell : "I Had To Say No A Lot"," 15 July 2019 Ellemen said that MMICs can provide detailed radar images to distinguish a missile warhead from nearby decoys or clutter, preventing the wasteful firing of an interceptor missile on nonthreatening targets. — Colleen Shalby, latimes.com, "UCLA professor faces 219 years in prison for conspiring to send U.S. missile chips to China," 11 July 2019 The current permit regulations state that a permit holding person can't lure the vultures into gun range with blinds, pits, decoy or deception. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky black vulture attacks: How to keep your pets and farm animals safe," 25 June 2019 Or learn lessons from Chicago, which last year sued online retailers that shipped e-cigarettes to an under-21 decoy. — Jen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: What we know about the Gilroy shooting so far," 29 July 2019 However, the overall importance of Operation Bodyguard remains one of debate, and some of the efforts may not have been necessary – notably the decoy landing craft and tanks. — Fox News, "D-Day deception: How phantom armies and fake information helped win the Battle of Normandy," 6 June 2019 In the decoy's first game in the dugout — sitting on the railing throughout — the Tigers hammered the Angels, 6-2. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers feeling goosed after series win over L.A. Angels," 31 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Finding actual explosives at airports is rare, so decoy explosive material is used to keep the dogs sharp and motivated. — chicagotribune.com, "Meet two very good boys sniffing explosives and keeping fliers safe from bad guys," 30 July 2019 Finding actual explosives at airports is rare, so decoy explosive material is used to keep the dogs sharp and motivated. — chicagotribune.com, "Meet two very good boys sniffing explosives and keeping fliers safe from bad guys," 30 July 2019 Finding actual explosives at airports is rare, so decoy explosive material is used to keep the dogs sharp and motivated. — chicagotribune.com, "Meet two very good boys sniffing explosives and keeping fliers safe from bad guys," 30 July 2019 Finding actual explosives at airports is rare, so decoy explosive material is used to keep the dogs sharp and motivated. — Dallas News, "Meet two very good boys sniffing explosives at DFW Airport and keeping fliers safe from bad guys," 24 July 2019 Hunting - Guide Scott Clary said a low ceiling helped decoying action for snow geese. — Bink Grimes, Houston Chronicle, "Outdoors report: Feb. 10," 9 Feb. 2018 Guide Matt Sbrusch of Prairie Waterfowl reported good decoying action for snows and Canadas in green fields near Lissie. — Bink Grimes, Houston Chronicle, "Outdoors report: Jan. 14," 13 Jan. 2018 South winds have helped decoying action for geese lately. — Bink Grimes, Houston Chronicle, "Outdoors report: Dec. 23," 22 Dec. 2017 Shooting decoying ducks or geese, the third shot can be useful for some but even then, the third shot is often just a prayer. — Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, "2 shots at a time: In praise of the classic over/under Browning shotgun," 13 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decoy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for decoy
decoy
noun
English Language Learners Definition of decoy
See the full definition for decoy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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