parlay

verb

par·lay | \ ˈpär-ˌlā

, -lē

parlayed; parlaying; parlays

Definition of parlay

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to bet in a parlay

2a : to exploit successfully He hoped to parlay his basketball skills into a college scholarship.

b : to increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value She parlayed $5,000 and years of hard work into a multimillion-dollar company.

parlay

noun

Definition of parlay (Entry 2 of 2)

: a series of two or more bets so set up in advance that the original stake plus its winnings are risked on the successive wagers broadly : the fresh risking of an original stake together with its winnings

Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about parlay

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

Verb

If you're the gambling type, you may already know that parlay can also be used as a noun describing a series of bets in which a person places a bet, then puts the original stake of money and all of its winnings on new wagers. But you might not know that parlay represents a modified spelling of the French name for such bets: paroli. You might also be unaware that the original French word is still occasionally used in English with the same meaning as the noun parlay. Be careful not to mix up parlay with the similar word parley, meaning "to discuss terms with an enemy." Although the spellings are very close, parley comes from the Latin word for "speech."

Examples of parlay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

All involved are hopeful the World Cup success will parlay into stronger ticket sales and media coverage. — Steven Goff, courant.com, "USWNT will celebrate and be celebrated - and then it’s back to work," 8 July 2019 Epstein, whose fortune is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, parlayed his wealth and success to establish political and social contacts around the world, among them President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. — NBC News, "Who is Jeffrey Epstein, and why has he been arrested again?," 7 July 2019 The legendary Ford and Chrysler executive considered parlaying his popularity into a run for president in 1988. — Jason Karaian, Quartz, "Not every star businessman has the temperament to be US president," 6 July 2019 Former Piston Eric Moreland was able to parlay a summer-league invite into a veteran minimum spot for the 2017-18 season. — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons free agency: 5 things to watch as team uses limited funds," 29 June 2019 In this case, the brothers parlayed their $2 million equity rollover into nearly $10 million. — Gary Miller, The Denver Post, "Gary Miller: When I sell my company, should I consider “rolling over equity” into the buyer’s company?," 23 June 2019 So Facebook, having noted that users rely on it for trustworthiness and expertise at protecting their privacy, is offering to parlay that into becoming the world’s banker. — Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, "You don’t trust Facebook to protect your privacy. Why trust it as a banker?," 21 June 2019 The Lions parlayed a deep pool of point scorers to the first place finish ahead of county rivals Seminole and Lake Brantley. — Buddy Collings, orlandosentinel.com, "Kaley Mudge, Riley Greene earn top Sentinel high school player of year awards," 11 June 2019 Leah Chase would soon start to parlay the shop into the only fine dining restaurant where black patrons could dine in the city. — Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al.com, "Southern chefs, food writers celebrate iconic restaurateur Leah Chase in photos," 4 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Everyone shows up for a parlay, and when Jon does his show-and-tell bit with the wight, Cersei pretends to be properly spooked. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "This Is How Season 7 of 'Game of Thrones' Ended," 13 Apr. 2019 Throughout the storyline, attempts at peacemaking, cooperation, and parlays are met again and again with bloodshed, betrayal, and cyclical violence. — Aja Romano, Vox, "In the era of Trump and apocalyptic change, Hopepunk is a storytelling template for #resistance — and hanging onto your humanity at all costs.," 27 Dec. 2018 Right after the presidents’ dinnertime parlay, Chinese officials said the two sides agreed to put tariffs in abeyance to negotiate a settlement but offered few other details then and in the days since. — WSJ, "China Breaks Its Silence on 90-Day U.S. Tariff Truce," 5 Dec. 2018 In 2005, a bill winding down Sports Action was passed, and the last parlays were bet in 2007. — Andrew Greif, OregonLive.com, "Among Oregon athletic directors, sports betting's potential return sparks hope and concern," 24 May 2018 Johnson, 41, wanted a two-team parlay with the A’s and White Sox. — Ed Barkowitz, Philly.com, "Crazy day at Atlantic City sportsbook as Mark Wahlberg bets the Eagles, Patriots and … Browns," 28 June 2018 Delaware has offered limited NFL parlay wagering since 2009. — Ed Barkowitz, Philly.com, "Why haven't Pa. casinos filed for sports-betting permission yet? Could be 10 million reasons," 4 June 2018 Delaware has offered parlay NFL wagering via partial exemption under PASAP for about a decade. — A.j. Perez, USA TODAY, "Ready to wager? Head to Delaware, which becomes first new state to offer betting Tuesday," 31 May 2018 In Delaware, that was a very niche product of parlay-style wagering on N.F.L. football, Ms. Slane said. — New York Times, "Delaware Kicks Off Full-Scale Sports Betting, a First Outside of Nevada," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parlay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.