DECOYING Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

decoying

verb

present participle of decoy

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decoying

Verb

Extreme heat, tempting open bodies of water and outdoor critters can all prove deadly.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 July 2026
While many dangerous plants are unlikely to appear in a flower garden, there are some weeds that produce beautiful flowers and tempting berries that may look right at home next to your camellias, but are downright deadly.

— Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Definition of tempting

Verb

For the past two years, Indian IPO markets have seen frenzied activity, luring even multinational companies to list their India business units.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 9 July 2026
Home to the filming of hits like Reservation Dogs, Tulsa King, and Killers of the Flower Moon, Oklahoma's pop culture is luring travelers.

— CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026

Definition of luring

Verb

In addition to benefiting from the shade temperature-wise, providing coverage in the form of shrubbery also helps birds feel safer and more secure, further enticing them to use the bird bath.

— Molly Burford, Southern Living, 6 July 2026
The doe-eyed spa manager, Anupam Banerjee, has come up with a wide range of enticing holistic treatments, from scrubs, massages, and facials; to biohacking PEMF body mats and LED masks; to Ayurvedic therapies; to breath work and meditation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 June 2026

Definition of enticing

Verb

Numbers like that are persuading brands to start treating in-game ads and product placements as a serious channel rather than a spare-budget experiment.

— Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
But the deportation officers also had other means of persuading the holdouts.

— Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Definition of persuading

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decoyed

decoying

decoys

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“Decoying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoying. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of decoying

verb

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