as in tempted
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 decoyed
Dowdle busted loose for a first down with 40 seconds to play after Young decoyed putting him in pass protection, and those 19 yards put the Panthers in position to kick a field goal after they’d won the coin flip and maneuvered to get the wind at the end.
—
Luke Decock, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Luke Decock, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decoyed
Verb
-
Maybe Presti could be tempted; maybe not.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 18,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Even if a frustrating change of plans isn’t really anyone’s fault, you might be tempted to take it as a personal slight.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That’s the recipe that apparently lured 15 skiers into the backcountry northwest of Lake Tahoe, where at least eight of the group died in a catastrophic avalanche, the deadliest in modern California history.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Party activists have said many grassroots Republicans lost money, while others were lured by ads on shows hosted by conservatives, including Erick Erickson, Hugh Hewitt, and the late Charlie Kirk.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pine seduced Roper away from Corky [Roper’s fixer, played by Tom Hollander, who was killed off in season one].—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
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Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both juries rejected a defense argument that Alkayyali was under the influence of sudden passion, and would have considered a term of two to 20 years if they were persuaded by the argument.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Renato Renner of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is not persuaded that resolving the conflict between the Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations solves all the problems.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Employers have long offered housing assistance, particularly to higher-status workers or those who are being enticed to relocate to expensive areas.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
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While the Super Bowl ad is for Cadillac F1, Apple is poised to be just as big a beneficiary, if viewers are enticed to check it out.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decoyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoyed. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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