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.
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Recent Examples of parlay
The Nvidia chief has parlayed that into a relationship built on after-hours phone calls, effusive compliments and chats about an upcoming White House UFC fight.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
The biggest financial winner of the college hiring cycle was Lane Kiffin, who parlayed his successful run at Ole Miss into a deal with LSU worth $91 million over seven years after Florida also showed interest.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Hamels has much more time to parlay his Championship Series and World Series MVP awards into a spot in the Hall of Fame gallery.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold parlayed a backup role with San Francisco into the starting job with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, helping the team finish 14-3 with a playoff berth.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parlay
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
The biggest financial winner of the college hiring cycle was Lane Kiffin, who parlayed his successful run at Ole Miss into a deal with LSU worth $91 million over seven years after Florida also showed interest.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Hamels has much more time to parlay his Championship Series and World Series MVP awards into a spot in the Hall of Fame gallery.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold parlayed a backup role with San Francisco into the starting job with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, helping the team finish 14-3 with a playoff berth.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlay
Verb
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For many schools, that means expanding technical education classes, building partnerships with local businesses, and getting creative with transporting teens — some just on the cusp of learning to drive — to part-time work.—
Carley Lanich,
IndyStar,
10 Feb. 2026
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Powered by rapid advances in embodied intelligence, China’s humanoid robots are advancing rapidly, expanding their potential roles in both industrial settings and home environments.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kawhi Leonard made two free throws, but the Rockets scored the next four points to extend the lead.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The vote on Tuesday sought to extend previous language that blocked tariff repeal resolutions from getting a vote, which expired at the end of January.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Senate’s bill would tie some community development grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to housing production, offering bonuses to local governments that accelerate homebuilding while reducing funding for those that fall behind.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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His move to the Sandringham estate was accelerated after the latest batch of Epstein files were released, and after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was seen waving to photographers and bystanders at Windsor Castle, as if nothing had happened.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lawmakers in European powerhouse Germany have approved a government plan to attract more military recruits as the country tries to boost the ranks of its armed forces in the face of rising concern about the threat posed by Russia.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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The robust demand for hard drives and flash storage amid the ongoing AI wave is boosting the company’s business.—
TipRanks,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The program will start with 3,000 volunteers to be selected next summer and will gradually increase to 10,000 per year by 2030.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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Allowing its use on these two common crops will drastically expand how much is applied and increase harm, advocates say.—
Michael Phillis,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Early symptoms may also go away within a day, but serious to fatal liver damage can still develop within two to three days.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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In a groundbreaking new study, researchers have developed an electronic skin that allows humanoid robots to distinguish everyday touch from damaging force.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, even the most cognitively challenging tasks that humans excel at can also be augmented by AI.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
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The fork in the road was right there in front of them, one a direction of resetting, one of augmenting.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Most people at the meeting, held over Microsoft Teams, expressed excitement at the potential for conservation in an area stretching from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance, plus 200 yards inland.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Set the scene Arriving at Four Seasons Costa Palmas feels like driving toward a kasbah in Morocco—miles of stark desert stretch out on either side before the landscape suddenly opens to an oasis on the edge of the Sea of Cortez.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlay. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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