parleyed; parleying
: to speak with another : confer
specifically
: to discuss terms with an enemy
The government refused to parley with the rebels.
plural parleys
1
a
: a conference for discussion of points in dispute
b
: a conference with an enemy
2
Examples of parley in a Sentence
Verb
in an effort to win the goodwill of the locals, the developers parleyed with them before finalizing plans for the massive mall
Noun
held a parley to debate the proposed change in the town's zoning laws
can we meet for an informal parley to see if we can effect a compromise?
Recent Examples on the Web
Evan Dudley, al, 1 Aug. 2023
This international exposure Emad hopes to parley into a Hollywood career.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 7 Dec. 2022
Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2025
Melber, Wallace and O’Donnell would join later, while Wagner held forth from Philadelphia, the site of the actual parley.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for parley
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Verb
While freely admitting the need for parleying improvement to production, Dilfer was most pleased with the entire program getting together on the same page.
—Evan Dudley, al, 1 Aug. 2023
This international exposure Emad hopes to parley into a Hollywood career.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 7 Dec. 2022
Noun
Republicans suggested that Trump's policies would be the start of a parley with foreign countries.
—Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2025
Melber, Wallace and O’Donnell would join later, while Wagner held forth from Philadelphia, the site of the actual parley.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for parley
Cite this Entry
“Parley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parley. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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