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
Beattie parlayed Faria’s pop-up successes into a brick-and-mortar bakery at 3417 Broadway in Sacramento’s North Oak Park neighborhood, then expanded to the Folsom location in September 2022.
—
Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2025
The right-hander, returning from Tommy John surgery, parlayed that opportunity into a Rookie of the Year win, beating out Baltimore’s Colton Cowser and batterymate Austin Wells.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
As his public profile has grown, so has Charlamagne’s determination to parlay his considerable following into the foundation for a portfolio of media imprints — from books to podcasts to feature films — designed to create artistic opportunities and jobs for Black people.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 25 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for parlay
Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2025
The right-hander, returning from Tommy John surgery, parlayed that opportunity into a Rookie of the Year win, beating out Baltimore’s Colton Cowser and batterymate Austin Wells.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
As his public profile has grown, so has Charlamagne’s determination to parlay his considerable following into the foundation for a portfolio of media imprints — from books to podcasts to feature films — designed to create artistic opportunities and jobs for Black people.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 25 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for parlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parlay
Verb
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In this slice-of-life portrait, Chen shows how childhood experiences can shape someone, illustrating how a childhood passion might expand their horizons without necessarily becoming a lifelong vocation.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2025
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The potential is immense: Businesses can expand into new markets without facing financial roadblocks, while individuals can access their money without bureaucratic delays.—
Marc Sacal,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Holland and Sasser will be suspended for one game, and Stewart will be suspended for two games. Oklahoma City aims to extend its 10-game winning streak as the Thunder face off against the Detroit Pistons.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
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When the federal tax return filing deadline is extended, there is no corresponding extension for the lookback period.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Business leaders obtain the necessary insights to reduce carbon and material usage, accelerate CSRD compliance, and accurately measure the financial and sustainability impact of their decisions.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs Wednesday affecting all U.S. trading partners and imports, plowing ahead on a risky economic strategy that promises to further accelerate a global trade war and raise anxieties about higher consumer prices at home.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Athletes often supplement with creatine to help boost muscle growth and recovery.—
Lauren O'Connor, MS, RDN,
Health,
8 Apr. 2025
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The Biden Administration left in place the tariffs that Trump had imposed on China and supplemented them with an ambitious industrial policy designed to boost the industries of the future, including green energy, E.V.s, and semiconductors.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Fortunately, a new moon will rise on April 27; therefore, resulting in dark skies and increasing the chance of visibility.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Indeed, solar generation increased by 474 TWh (terawatt-hours; 1 TWh is enough to power a small city for a year) in 2024, reaching a total of 2,131 TWh – with China and the US leading the charge.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Prime Video is developing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, based on the Crane-Iron Pentalogy book series by Wang Dulu.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Samsung Wireless Fast Charge: Samsung developed a Proprietary Power Delivery Extension (PPDE) standard in the early days of Qi to offer higher than 5-watt wireless charging.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The rubber match has augmented stakes in a Tournament field with increasing parity.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Attention also could be paid to dismantling foreign anticompetitive market distortions, in order to augment the benefits achieved through the Task Force.—
Alden Abbott,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Dark hardwood floors stretch over to the formal dining area, which sits opposite the chef’s kitchen.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2025
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Laughter erupts in the background, as the cheese stretches farther and farther.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parlay. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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