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
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
There’s still the notion of being your own personal Robin Hood — parlaying a lifetime of loss into one big win.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 21 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
Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
There’s still the notion of being your own personal Robin Hood — parlaying a lifetime of loss into one big win.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 21 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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Student Experience and Programming — expanding academic programs such as the Capstone Design, the Flowers Invention Studio, and the Student Competition Center by supporting faculty mentors and students.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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France, which plans to recognize a Palestinian state this month at the United Nations, also voiced its opposition to Israel expanding operations in Gaza.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Next week, Paramount+ will launch a new multiview feature, initially for the kickoff of CBS Sports’ UEFA soccer coverage — and eventually extending to other content on the streamer.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
9 Sep. 2025
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Iran sees its involvement in Sudan as a gateway for extending its footprint in Africa.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deploying chatbots to handle routine customer queries, for instance, allows human agents to focus on complex issues, boosting both efficiency and experience.—
Nitesh Mirchandani,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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These updates are aimed not only at boosting sales through faster service and better in-store experiences, but also at restoring the kind of profit margins the coffee giant enjoyed before the Covid pandemic.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In response, Russia pivoted towards eastward to China again, signing the Power of Siberia Pipeline, and then accelerating the development of payment systems like Mir and System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) to circumvent Western financial systems.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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If the slow-burn romances between Jim and Pam and, eventually, Dwight and Angela gave the original series heart, The Paper establishes several workplace pairings immediately and plainly, accelerating their advancement.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The materials also mold to your feet over time, increasing their comfort and personalizing their fit.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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In Platte County, population growth also contributes to the increasing demand for real estate.—
Madeline King,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That product was built from the ground up around AI and was possible only because of AI, as opposed to augmenting an existing product with AI.—
Sage Lazzaro,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Their ability to market such brands within these sources proves their brand message augmenting capability.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the search for good ideas, Miami-Dade will award $100,000 each to three startups that are developing technology to divert waste from landfills and improve public sustainability engagement.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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This achievement marks a critical first step in the BALIS project, an initiative aimed at developing powerful, climate-friendly propulsion systems for future aircraft, ships, and heavy-duty vehicles.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Complimentary activities range from morning stretching with a sea breeze to late-afternoon volleyball in the sand to learning about local culture through a Boduberu drum session.—
Katie Lockhart,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
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Across eight episodes, Levy explores eight countries—Austria, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Mexico, South Korea and the United States—touching down in dreamy, horizon-stretching destinations that broaden his perspective, as well as his viewers’ outlook.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parlaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlaying. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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