PARLAY Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

parlay

verb

Definition of parlay

as in to expand

to use or develop (something) to get something else that has greater value He hoped to parlay his basketball skills into a college scholarship.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 parlay Dutch find separating goal to regain control With Japan in full control of momentum after the quick answer, the Netherlands parlayed a swing of possession into a winner in the 64th minute. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026 None of his predecessors who tried to parlay Wall Street success into a shot at the American Presidency—from Hamilton to Harriman to Romney to Bloomberg—ever won. — Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 The drinks are the young Trumps' latest foray into the family business of parlaying their name and wealth into new branding opportunities as the president serves out his second term. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026 Players including Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, Cobi Jones and Marcelo Balboa parlayed that fame into broadcasting careers. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for parlay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlay

Verb

The council would then examine the details surrounding the change before passing an ordinance expanding those voting rights.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Since then, the United States has expanded from 13 colonies along the Atlantic coast to 50 states stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and beyond.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of expand

Verb

Junior Caminero has already done some things no Rays players had ever accomplished, such as extending his sizzling power show on Friday to include hitting 10 home runs over a 10-game span.

— Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
With runners on second and third, in a 1-2 count, Pages extended to the outside edge of the plate to get around a slider and send it through the left side of the infield.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of extend

Verb

The government is also working with private developers, banks and the real estate sector to accelerate temporary and permanent housing solutions.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Years of crippling sanctions have paralysed the economy as accelerating bouts of mass nationwide protests have been put down by security forces with increasing force — culminating in the killing of thousands of demonstrators in January.

— Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of accelerate

Verb

Gifts from foundations, such as those backed by the Samueli and Sun families, rose by about 3%, despite huge gains in stock markets and other assets that typically boost the financial health of foundations.

— Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
After showing worryingly weak early interest, World Cup fans showed up at the last minute to boost Los Angeles hotel occupancy and room rates.

— Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of boost

Verb

The state also has goals, including some that have been in place since 2012, that set declining limits on smog-causing pollutants and required automakers to sell increasing percentages of electric and hybrid vehicles through 2025.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
The news came a day before Liz reported on Hong Kong’s beleaguered cinema market finally having an upturn, with overall box office revenues increasing by 25% thanks to a strong line-up of local and Hollywood releases.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 3 July 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

But Canada has plans to launch hundreds of new satellites to safeguard its national sovereignty, reducing reliance on Washington, and the European Union is developing its own network of 290 satellites.

— Amy Gunia, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
To develop the system, Earth Fire Alliance conducted hundreds of interviews firefighters, incident commanders and scientists worldwide to identify gaps in existing fire data, Kapusta said.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

The order covers the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, stretching over Palmyra and Johnston atolls and Kingman Reef, among others.

— Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Additionally, the 100-percent cotton fabric is soft, comfortable, and durable, which means the pants won’t stretch out or lose their shape.

— Irene Richardson, InStyle, 8 July 2026

Definition of stretch

Browse Nearby Words

parlances

parlay

parlayed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Parlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlay. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of parlay

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

xeric

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes