as in baits
something used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap
we set the decoy afloat in the marsh and from the blind waited for the ducks to arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lures
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of decoys
ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The trailer full of decoys can come later.
—The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
Existing missiles can carry multiple warheads or decoys, and many nuclear powers are developing new weapons that could evade defenses.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The agency prohibited uncertified officers and other staff from acting as decoys during K-9 training following the April 2022 attack, the newspaper reported.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Some wasps, such as yellowjackets, don’t even build nests that resemble the decoys.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Equipped with inertial and GPS guidance, the JL-2 may also deploy decoys and penetration aids.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
That's not with decoys, that's not with other means that would try to misdirect our interceptors from knocking down incoming missiles with nuclear warheads on them.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The trailer full of decoys can come later.
—The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
Existing missiles can carry multiple warheads or decoys, and many nuclear powers are developing new weapons that could evade defenses.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The agency prohibited uncertified officers and other staff from acting as decoys during K-9 training following the April 2022 attack, the newspaper reported.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Some wasps, such as yellowjackets, don’t even build nests that resemble the decoys.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Equipped with inertial and GPS guidance, the JL-2 may also deploy decoys and penetration aids.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
Osit looks for answers in multiple places, interviewing law enforcement officials and district attorneys, academics, and former Perverted Justice decoys from the show.
—Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decoys
Noun
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Keep baits out of reach of kids and pets.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
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At the emergency vet, Scout had normal vitals, and the professional at first thought that the dog was suffering from only an upset stomach caused by the baits.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Modern’s intimate bar and restaurant lures both locals and travelers with high-quality cocktails and food.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Oct. 2025
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Buford wanted to understand the psychology of what lures people – usually men – to feed into the violence inspired by a sporting event.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unwind Along the Coast Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, tempts with spice tours, rooftop cocktails, and sunset dhow sails.—
Karin Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Sep. 2025
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The device contains, among other things, doorways to other dimensions, including one that tempts Peacemaker with a seemingly storybook version of his broken family.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Everything about the scene seduces the viewer into what dining while traveling in the most luxurious fashion could be, and once was.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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In his youth, the blue-eyed Stamp was widely considered one of the most handsome men onscreen, and Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini used that to peculiar effect in Teorema (1968), casting the actor as a nameless and wordless visitor who seduces an entire household.—
Rhett Bartlett,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decoys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoys. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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