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
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
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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In 2025, Ohtani is likely to earn another MVP award, adding to his ever-expanding trophy cabinet.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Environmental advocates question the need for expanding fossil fuel resources a time when greenhouse gases from those fuels are worsening climate change.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 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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Kansas City Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons missed his third straight game Monday night against the Washington Commanders, extending an absence from the team that began in mid-October.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For example, cloves are known for their abundance and mood-boosting properties; rosemary is known for clearing and purification; cinnamon is known for prosperity and protection; apples are known for healing; and pumpkin is known for protection and stability.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
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Ahead of the Venice festival, Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Alfonso Cuaron and Jonathan Glazer boarded The Voice of Hind Rajab as executive producers, boosting the film’s profile and debut.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meta and others are engaged in an accelerating AI arms race that has some economists and investors fretting about a possible bubble and seeking reassurance that revenue growth can sustain the massive spending required.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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The findings could make solar tower technology more efficient and commercially viable, accelerating the shift toward cleaner energy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The organization’s Green Heart Project, which studies the impact of better air quality on heart disease through urban greening, has found that increasing the number of trees and shrubs in an area can create lower levels of a blood marker associated with inflammation.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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Coffee prices have been increasing sharply since the start of this year.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Courtesy Deirdre Hall When reading women’s routine mammograms, radiologists are increasingly augmenting their eyes with artificial intelligence.—
Elizabeth Cohen,
NBC news,
22 Oct. 2025
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The British royal family member accessorized her look with gold earrings by English designer Daniella Draper — donning a pair of mini hoops with shamrock charms in gold, further augmenting the fall shades of her ensemble.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The good news is that scientists and engineers are developing the next-generation space missions that could address this.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
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These diets can also help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.—
Jennifer Lefton,
Verywell Health,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By the end of the game, hundreds of shirtless brethren had joined in on the revelry, stretching across four sections and making headlines.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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At the absolute minimum, Prince Andrew and others in Epstein’s orbit showed a pathological incuriosity about the young girls who surrounded him—and that is stretching good faith to its very limit.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parlaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlaying. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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