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 Trouba parlayed a rebound season with the Ducks into this contract. — Eric Stephens, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Both parlayed their success into Hollywood careers—Presley dominating musical comedies, and Boone starring in studio features like the sci-fi classic Journey to the Center of the Earth. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 26 June 2026 Now, after amassing giant followings on social networks, those creators are parlaying their success into starring, showrunning, and directing roles in more traditional corners of Hollywood. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026 The only drawback for these filmmakers was parlaying the success of their film into getting deals or future projects due to the lack of public metrics. — Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for parlay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlay

Verb

The Office of the State Auditor maintained that its interest in a Midland site was based on expanding geographic access to early voting, not dictating the county’s final plan.

— Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Although revenues have expanded substantially, income needs to continue growing rapidly for Newcastle to sustain a higher salary base and regularly sign the best players.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of expand

Verb

Jac Caglianone extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI double in the third inning and Isaac Collins recorded an RBI single in the fourth.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 19 July 2026
In recent days, though, broadcasters have predicted the spectacle will cause the regular half-time break to be extended, much to the annoyance of soccer purists.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Definition of extend

Verb

Engineers believe exposing robots to everyday activities such as cooking will accelerate their development for applications beyond manufacturing, including hospitality, retail, healthcare, and domestic assistance.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
This transformation is not the product of any single administration, although recent political polarization has accelerated it.

— John Eger, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

Definition of accelerate

Verb

At the event, Chinese tech heavyweight Huawei showcased its Atlas 950 SuperPoD supernode, which is designed to link multiple chips together to boost computing power.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 July 2026
The question comes after a Wall Street Journal report last week saying that Netflix executives were considering adding in live channels that continuously stream one program or certain genres, in an effort to boost viewer engagement.

— Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026

Definition of boost

Verb

In recent months, drone sightings in Nikopol have increased from two or three per day to about three every hour, day and night, Varytsev says.

— Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Homelessness after incarceration increases the chances that someone will end up back behind bars, at a steep cost to taxpayers.

— Amber Gaudet July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

As Chinese companies have rushed to develop AI models and hardware that can rival that of the US, the government has also carefully rolled out incremental measures to maintain social stability.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Another generation of family members and in-laws developed Ballantyne, another upscale neighborhood with homes, restaurants, retail, and corporate offices.

— Chase Jordan July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

On the ensuing possession, Sneed knocked down his fifth 3 of the game from the right wing to bring his scoring total to 27 points and stretch Purple Reign’s lead back to 10.

— Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Building a free-flowing, attack-minded squad was the priority, but Keegan’s appeal stretched beyond the dressing room.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 22 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 23 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

maverick

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes