as in expanding
to use or develop (something) to get something else that has greater value
He hoped to parlay his basketball skills into a college scholarship.
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Recent Examples of parlaying
The guy was a national treasure, and ended up parlaying that fame into acting roles in movies (Red Eye), TV shows (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and hosting gigs (Top Shot).
—
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Deadline is parlaying its industry-leading coverage of the reality television business into a live event.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
After making a fortune in software and parlaying that into telecoms and a raft of tech ventures, Son is now pivoting SoftBank’s $180 billion war chest into artificial intelligence (AI) with unbridled zeal.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
That didn’t stop him from parlaying his celebrity into raising awareness for ALS, a rare condition for which there is currently no cure.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Robbins broke out as a motivational speaker sensation in the mid-90’s, parlaying his program into transformational programs, immersive experiences and executive education.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Doan credits their swift success to his cofounder’s knack for parlaying Vietnam’s thousand-year heritage in textile arts and crafts into propositions with a modern sensibility.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026
Pressly did, too, parlaying the success as an Astro into a place within franchise lore.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The cap will restrict the amount wagered on individual pitches before they are delivered – ball, strike and pitch velocity – while banning parlaying each pitch result during a game.
—David Close, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Deadline is parlaying its industry-leading coverage of the reality television business into a live event.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
After making a fortune in software and parlaying that into telecoms and a raft of tech ventures, Son is now pivoting SoftBank’s $180 billion war chest into artificial intelligence (AI) with unbridled zeal.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
That didn’t stop him from parlaying his celebrity into raising awareness for ALS, a rare condition for which there is currently no cure.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Robbins broke out as a motivational speaker sensation in the mid-90’s, parlaying his program into transformational programs, immersive experiences and executive education.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Doan credits their swift success to his cofounder’s knack for parlaying Vietnam’s thousand-year heritage in textile arts and crafts into propositions with a modern sensibility.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026
Pressly did, too, parlaying the success as an Astro into a place within franchise lore.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The cap will restrict the amount wagered on individual pitches before they are delivered – ball, strike and pitch velocity – while banning parlaying each pitch result during a game.
—David Close, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlaying
Verb
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The Southern Anoka County Assistance food shelf (SACA) is expanding to meet a growing need in Columbia Heights.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The store initially sold ice cream before expanding to chocolates in 1965.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The plan, conveyed through mediators in Pakistan to break a stalemate with Washington, calls for extending the ceasefire so the parties can work toward a permanent end to the fighting, Axios said.—
Jon Herskovitz,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Vargas then homered to left field, extending the lead to 8-5.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In further experiments in mice, the researchers found that the type of food appeared to matter, too—eating a fat-rich diet (in this case, corn oil) emerged as key to boosting the T cells’ abilities when compared with carbohydrate- or protein-rich diets.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2026
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Florida lawmakers approved a new congressional map Wednesday that would give Republicans a leg up in four more House seats, boosting their chances of keeping control of the chamber amid a nationwide redistricting arms race.—
Patrick Marley,
Washington Post,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The growing fleet is accelerating development by generating large-scale data for Helix, the company’s humanoid AI model, while enabling real-world deployment across research, commercial, and domestic use cases, according to a blog by Figure.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
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Polls show Americans are angry — and rightly so — at accelerating medical bills.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These organizations, striving to fill the information gap created by the state government’s increasing drift toward secrecy — can’t rely on taxpayers to pay their bills.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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These changes were to be achieved by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreasing the consumption of meat and eggs, and substituting nonfat milk for whole milk.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Supporters’ contributions help change students’ lives by relieving financial burdens, augmenting the resources that support student learning inside and outside the classroom, the release said.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
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New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has said that augmenting the trenches is a priority.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This approach means partnering with local educational institutions, developing a robust curriculum and providing clear growth paths from day one.—
Mike Kelleher,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
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Her company is developing a slate of five to seven projects per year across both short and feature formats.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For a century, the 2,448 mile road stretching across eight states and three time zones has been synonymous with mom-and-pop diners and America’s Heartland.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Olivia Rodrigo has announced North American and European tour dates stretching from the fall into 2027.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlaying. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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