as in expanded
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 parlayed
That the Astros’ last Japanese pitcher paid it no mind — and parlayed it into something prolific — didn’t hurt, either.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Brown parlayed that success into a strong showing at North Dakota State in his first collegiate stop.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
By then, showrunner-auteur Lear had parlayed the All in the Family base camp into a virtual multiverse of spin-offs (Maude, The Jeffersons) and spawns (Sanford and Son).
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Waymo has parlayed this safety record into an enormous expansion.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
Google, though, appears to be the only one that has parlayed its investment into a winning business strategy.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Sampha parlayed a role as the label’s first intern into a successful recording career there; Tasker was the label’s second intern.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025
That lifelong commitment to knowledge helped make Whitaker a dominant player, who has also parlayed his skills into a job writing questions for the British quiz show University Challenge.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
There was some hope that Brosmer, who parlayed a combination of accuracy and preternatural processing skills into a roster spot out of training camp, might surprise everyone by running an efficient ship on Sunday.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2025
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Brown parlayed that success into a strong showing at North Dakota State in his first collegiate stop.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
By then, showrunner-auteur Lear had parlayed the All in the Family base camp into a virtual multiverse of spin-offs (Maude, The Jeffersons) and spawns (Sanford and Son).
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Waymo has parlayed this safety record into an enormous expansion.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
Google, though, appears to be the only one that has parlayed its investment into a winning business strategy.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Sampha parlayed a role as the label’s first intern into a successful recording career there; Tasker was the label’s second intern.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025
That lifelong commitment to knowledge helped make Whitaker a dominant player, who has also parlayed his skills into a job writing questions for the British quiz show University Challenge.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
There was some hope that Brosmer, who parlayed a combination of accuracy and preternatural processing skills into a roster spot out of training camp, might surprise everyone by running an efficient ship on Sunday.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlayed
Verb
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Global capability centers and captives, particularly in India and other low-cost locations, have expanded rapidly.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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In recent years, the festival has expanded its offerings to attendees, including beers from outside the country, non-alcoholic beers, ciders and even some hard liquors.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gold extended its relentless rally on Thursday, crossing past $5,500 per ounce and hitting another record high.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And the hospitality extended beyond homes.—
Kim Norvell,
Des Moines Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 2026 Golden Globes winners have boosted front-running contenders in an awards season already filled with Hollywood excellence.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
-
But this is a Martha Stewart production boosted by the expert medical insight of a top dermatologist.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The result isn’t replaced judgment, but accelerated insight.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Brussels has accelerated its outreach to markets around the world.—
Rajesh Roy,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2024, when the biennial count showed an increase in unhoused young adults ages 18 to 24, for example, Heyhoe said advocates developed a new pilot program aimed at preventing youth homelessness.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
-
My political thought developed at a different time than my father’s, with different influences.—
Gaby Iori
January 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That figure is used to determine the league’s cut, which for all local TV deals has since increased from 34% to 48%.—
Maury Brown,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, the average new car payment has increased by $300, or more than 35%, since then to $769.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even as Covid-19 disrupted global travel, the length of operational high-speed lines jumped by 40% between 2020 and 2022, from 27,300 to 36,580 miles — most of it in China.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
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This morning, Nvidia announced an investment of $2 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure provider CoreWeave, whose stock jumped 8% on the news.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For me, folklore started right back at school, when our junior headmaster used to sit and tell us tall colorful tales, oral Cumbrian legends and ghost stories, which could be augmented and added to in the telling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Set on Tau Ceti IV after the events of the original games (last seen 30 years ago), the online extraction shooter tasks players with retrieving valuable artifacts, data, and resources from a lost colony as Runners, augmented humans with cybernetic bodies.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlayed. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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