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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There’s a Redwall vibe to the third installment, as fan-favorite rattkin Fern gets carried away on an impromptu adventure involving a chaos-goblin who holds a bounty tempting enough for all the ne’er-do-wells to try and collect on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Pricing must stay fair enough for casual fans yet tempting enough for collectors.—
Dmitrii Khasanov,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not far from Loulé Criativo, step into In the Pink, a new photo gallery luring international artists to show in the Algarve.—
Chadner Navarro,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
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Dozens were accused of luring boys through the Royal Rangers, a Pentecostal version of the Boy Scouts.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jennifer then develops a taste for human flesh and begins seducing and killing teenage boys.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Conveniently, two beautiful young strangers (Ana de Armas, Lorenza Izzo) come by late one stormy night, inviting themselves in and quickly seducing him.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some researchers think that since the last Ice Age Indigenous tribes burned swaths of woodlands to create an environment enticing to game animals.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
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To get Kim back to talks, Koh said Trump would have to bring something enticing him to the table this time around.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After reading Wuoronos’ story, Pralle began conversing with her through letters, eventually persuading Wuornos to let Pralle adopt her.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
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That could help with a key goal of the new transit line — persuading people who commute by car to give a more comfortable bus experience a try.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These areas are under carcass transportation and baiting restrictions to monitor and contain CWD, officials said.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
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The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decoying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoying. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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