as in tempting
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
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Recent Examples of decoying
What these guys really care about is decoying ducks in and seeing the show.
—
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decoying
Verb
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But if the promise of these sights wasn’t tempting enough, Airbnb has a number of jaw-dropping listings that allow travelers to enjoy the country with a more immersive experience—like the opulent Villa Il Cigno, located directly on the shores of Lake Como.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
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Too rich for my blood, but tempting nonetheless.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Big East has steadied its membership, since the conference’s revival, by adding Butler, Creighton and Xavier, luring UConn back to its rightful home, winning four men’s basketball national championships, four women’s hoops titles and now operating out of the Empire State Building.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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But Mizrachi sees potential for Pensacola in some of the same forces that are luring Jews to Boca and Aventure — including unhappiness among New Yorkers with the city’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani.—
Larry Luxner,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nate plays his older neighbors like a fiddle, seducing them with his beauty, money, and youth.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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On the left, he’s heralded as the only voice capable of seducing young men disaffected by party politics.—
Abigail Sylvor Greenberg,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His frame and traits are enticing.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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In Middleboro he is charged with one count of witness intimidation and enticing a child under 16.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My hero Carol Loomis provided a great service in persuading her pal to share what become justly honored as the Buffett Indicator with all of us.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Flock has become increasingly controversial, with communities across the country persuading their local governments to cancel their contracts, though the number is still dwarfed by how many cities renew their agreements with Flock every year.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Diners aren’t baiting first-bite TikTok reaction shots.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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That’s the kind of trade the Stars are happy to make after getting even in this first-round series, 1-1, by baiting the Wild to get even with them in pre- and post-whistle shenanigans.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decoying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoying. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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