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
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Recent Examples of decoys
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Better target identification, better autonomous tracking, better recognition of decoys and electronic countermeasures.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Scarecrows, reflective streamers, predator decoys, strobe lights or lasers, and balloons with eye patterns all serve this function.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
Some wasps, such as yellowjackets, don’t even build nests that resemble the decoys.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
Experts and congressional aides have said that Iran was likely able to preserve some of its arsenal by deploying decoys and dispersing weapons around the country.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Responses—whether soft-kill decoys or next-generation hard-kill solutions—are deployed with speed and precision, according to the company.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
There’s no doubt that sitting a field edge with decoys can be an effective way to kill turkeys.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
An experimental conservation effort near Grand Teton National Park is testing whether robotic bird decoys — built by high school students — can help lure greater sage grouse into safer habitat as the species faces a population decline of up to 80 percent since the 1960s.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
Cuban leaders are believed to rely on hardened facilities, underground bunkers, tunnels, decoys, secure compounds and frequent movement.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Better target identification, better autonomous tracking, better recognition of decoys and electronic countermeasures.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Scarecrows, reflective streamers, predator decoys, strobe lights or lasers, and balloons with eye patterns all serve this function.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
Some wasps, such as yellowjackets, don’t even build nests that resemble the decoys.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
Experts and congressional aides have said that Iran was likely able to preserve some of its arsenal by deploying decoys and dispersing weapons around the country.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Responses—whether soft-kill decoys or next-generation hard-kill solutions—are deployed with speed and precision, according to the company.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
There’s no doubt that sitting a field edge with decoys can be an effective way to kill turkeys.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
An experimental conservation effort near Grand Teton National Park is testing whether robotic bird decoys — built by high school students — can help lure greater sage grouse into safer habitat as the species faces a population decline of up to 80 percent since the 1960s.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
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
-
Keep the baits out of reach of kids and pets.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
-
Whether alone or in combination, baits placed on the path between your home and the parent colony can stop carpenter ants in their tracks.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Kee's, a 71-seat neo-bistro, lures both locals and guests for European-meets-Pan-Asian cooking.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The taco de camarón is what lures diners and keeps them returning.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Frida is the most significant secondary figure — the person who tempts Gabrielle away from her trajectory, making her pause and ponder roads not taken.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
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The victim of his sacrifice is Gretchen, a virgin whom Faust seduces and abandons in his devilish reverie, and who kills their illegitimate child.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decoys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoys. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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