Meaning

A person or object meant to lure somebody into danger..

Definitions by Sense

1. A person or object meant to lure somebody into danger.
2. A real or fake animal used by hunters to lure game.
3. Deceptive military device used to draw enemy attention or fire away from a more important target.
4. An assembly of hooped or netted corridors into which wild ducks may be enticed (originally by tame ducks) and trapped.
5. (transitive) To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap.
6. (intransitive) To act as, or use, a decoy.

Example Sentences

2002, Robotech: Battlecry – Guide and Walkthrough Just every 5 seconds or so shoot out a decoy near the Cats Eye and the enemies will aim for that instead of the Cats Eye.

to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net

E'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy, / The heart, distrusting, asks if this be joy.

As they were being decoyed, the rescue team carried the hostage and quietly slipped away.

Word Forms

• decoys
• decoying
• decoyed

Synonyms for decoy

Related Words

When Should You Use Decoy?

Use decoy when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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