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
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
Able to carry up to twelve low-yield warheads (100–300 kt), Layner supports mixed-yield loadouts and advanced countermeasures — extensive decoys and configurable warhead/decoy mixes — while its reentry vehicles reportedly perform in-flight maneuvering and re-targeting to defeat missile.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Spinning wing decoys are not great early in the morning or during hunts with low visibility (think fog or heavy overcast).
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
Also included are smaller Gerbera drones which are mostly used as decoys to distract air defenses, but which can also carry explosives.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys and 48 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday.
—Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
The Brookfield store carries technical hunting apparel, hunting and tactical accessories from brands like First Lite and FHF Gear, Phelps game calls and realistic animal decoys from Dave Smith Decoys for hunting.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
Able to carry up to twelve low-yield warheads (100–300 kt), Layner supports mixed-yield loadouts and advanced countermeasures — extensive decoys and configurable warhead/decoy mixes — while its reentry vehicles reportedly perform in-flight maneuvering and re-targeting to defeat missile.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Spinning wing decoys are not great early in the morning or during hunts with low visibility (think fog or heavy overcast).
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
Also included are smaller Gerbera drones which are mostly used as decoys to distract air defenses, but which can also carry explosives.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys and 48 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday.
—Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
The Brookfield store carries technical hunting apparel, hunting and tactical accessories from brands like First Lite and FHF Gear, Phelps game calls and realistic animal decoys from Dave Smith Decoys for hunting.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 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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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
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Keep the baits out of reach of kids and pets.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 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 23 Oct. 2025.
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