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.
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Recent Examples of parlay
Myron Lapka, who parlayed a standout college career at USC into three seasons in the NFL, died Monday following a years-long battle with cancer, as revealed in a social media post by his son Shane.
—
Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Two of them were parlayed into rookie guard Cedric Coward, while another could result in a juicy 2026 lottery pick from the Suns.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Her latest project — Soul on Fire — was also a full-circle role for Szostak, who plays the mother of burn victim John O'Leary, who parlayed a tragic accident into a career as a motivational speaker.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
His meteoric rise captures how Silicon Valley converts zeitgeist into capital—and how that, in turn, can be parlayed into influence.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlay
Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Two of them were parlayed into rookie guard Cedric Coward, while another could result in a juicy 2026 lottery pick from the Suns.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Her latest project — Soul on Fire — was also a full-circle role for Szostak, who plays the mother of burn victim John O'Leary, who parlayed a tragic accident into a career as a motivational speaker.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
His meteoric rise captures how Silicon Valley converts zeitgeist into capital—and how that, in turn, can be parlayed into influence.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlay
Verb
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At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Seeing as how the first tribe swap failed to shake anything up and gave us two more obvious telegraphed votes, the producers decided to blow it all up again and expand back to three tribes.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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China’s Seafaring History (Smithsonian Magazine) by Sean Kingsley China has a history of maritime trade extending to West Africa, the Mediterranean, and much of Asia that goes back to the first millennium.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Oct. 2025
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Narrative has a seemingly relentless, ungovernable momentum, but humans retain a control over war stories that does not extend to war itself.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The open-source project has been used by millions of scientists in more than 190 countries, accelerating research into diseases previously considered intractable.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Southern China’s tropical to subtropical climate – with heavy rainfall, heat, and humidity – accelerates chemical weathering, while the region’s long history of tectonic and magmatic activity adds further erosion.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sneakers are designed with a lightweight EVA midsole for flexible support and a rubber outsole that boosts durability.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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This augmentation boosts economic activity and creates new opportunities.—
Swami Chandrasekaran,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The cuts come after Chegg in May laid off 22% of its workforce, citing increasing adoption of AI.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
28 Oct. 2025
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With increasing space traffic from various nations and private companies, keeping tabs on potential collisions and threats becomes crucial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But while our bodies can develop immunity to viruses, even the savviest of travelers can fall victim to pickpockets on their travels.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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Chelsea shared on her Instagram Stories that the toddler had developed transient synovitis from a viral infection.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Created in partnership with the bionic footwear and apparel brand Dephy, the next-gen design is engineered to augment natural lower-leg and ankle movement, providing extra power for everyday exercise.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
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Queen Camilla augmented her monochrome attire with sheer black tights and a pair of Eliot Zed black suede pumps with a leather toe cap.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Food banks and pantries, meanwhile, have already seen an uptick in need but resources are stretched thin.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Plus, the legs are curved, providing more space to stretch out.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlay. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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