as in expanding
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 parlaying
The cap will restrict the amount wagered on individual pitches before they are delivered – ball, strike and pitch velocity – while banning parlaying each pitch result during a game.
—
David Close, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Raquel is resourceful and has made the best of her situation, parlaying the social capital of being a firefighter’s widow into a lucrative career as a grief influencer and star of Black Veil, a reality series dedicated to helping widows find their own second chances at love.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Perfetti fills Ehlers’ void adequately and the Jets win the Central, this time parlaying it into a deep playoff run.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Staub is now reportedly parlaying that performance into a start this Friday against Houston in Colorado’s Big 12 opener.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Butler proved correct then, parlaying it into a max contract, and has trusted his gut on business decisions since, using his power and brazenness to help influence his way out of other situations and into $312 million of career earnings.
—Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
By parlaying them into the AI realm, this lamentedly is an insidious form of anthropomorphizing AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
And one of the answers to that question was parlaying it into a return to directing.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
One of the world’s most prominent menswear designers, Jones also logged seven years at Louis Vuitton before joining Dior, parlaying his zest for exotic travel into ultra-luxurious collections with understated cool and sly functionality.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
David Close, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Raquel is resourceful and has made the best of her situation, parlaying the social capital of being a firefighter’s widow into a lucrative career as a grief influencer and star of Black Veil, a reality series dedicated to helping widows find their own second chances at love.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Perfetti fills Ehlers’ void adequately and the Jets win the Central, this time parlaying it into a deep playoff run.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Staub is now reportedly parlaying that performance into a start this Friday against Houston in Colorado’s Big 12 opener.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Butler proved correct then, parlaying it into a max contract, and has trusted his gut on business decisions since, using his power and brazenness to help influence his way out of other situations and into $312 million of career earnings.
—Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
By parlaying them into the AI realm, this lamentedly is an insidious form of anthropomorphizing AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
And one of the answers to that question was parlaying it into a return to directing.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
One of the world’s most prominent menswear designers, Jones also logged seven years at Louis Vuitton before joining Dior, parlaying his zest for exotic travel into ultra-luxurious collections with understated cool and sly functionality.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlaying
Verb
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Last summer, her Hulu documentary Call Her Alex premiered, and she's also spent the year expanding her Unwell Hydration beverage line with new caffeinated beverages.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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Backed by nearly $180 billion in venture capital and rapid growth in AI, fintech, and health tech, the sector is expanding New York’s tax base, attracting top talent, and fueling long-term economic growth.—
Julie Samuels,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Motorola devices will follow, with over-the-air updates extending support over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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Keeping your right knee slightly bent, perform the deadlift by bending at the hip, extending your left leg behind you for balance.—
Greg Presto,
Outside,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Identifying genes associated with muscle growth, as well as pharmaceutical targets, could mean that drugs or gene therapy may eventually be able to assist with boosting muscle response for people who cannot exercise.—
Bonnie Tsui,
The Atlantic,
14 Jan. 2026
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Trump began reversing the country’s energy policies on his first day in office with a spate of executive orders aimed at boosting oil, gas and coal.—
Jennifer McDermott,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The suspect was accelerating and weaving to try to shake the officer off.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Despite his efforts, violence has continued to escalate with police increasing patrols and surveillance in Puerto Lopez following recent massacres in the province, the Associated Press said.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Progress in robotics, according to PNDbotics, depends less on increasing complexity and more on tighter integration between hardware and intelligence.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Liquidating talent is a short-term accounting trick; augmenting talent is a long-term growth strategy.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
31 Dec. 2025
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On his last record, Reduction of Man, Jaffe inverted his approach, triggering events for his group to respond to rather than augmenting his own playing.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Sensory design has played an enormous role in developing this new identity for the bathroom, and the 2026 NKBA Bath Trends Report shows that numerous sensory trends are expected to continue gaining mainstream traction.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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While developing a proposal for Arrowhead, LeVota said, the county plans to reach out to business district leaders and business owners near the stadium, along with potential outside entities with development expertise.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The upholstery resists stretching and is simple to maintain, while the high-density foam cushions soften and shape to you over time.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
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As such, cryptocurrency prices are important to the market, with their impact stretching well beyond the bounds of the traditional crypto sphere.—
Malana VanTyler,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlaying. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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