Meaning & use

decoy

noun·Academic

Something used to lure a person or animal into a trap or to distract attention away from the real target.

See it in a sentence

Hunters placed a wooden duck decoy on the pond to attract real ducks.

The spy used a decoy vehicle to draw the guards away from the actual escape route.

A note on using this word

Decoy can be a physical object, like a fake duck, or a person or plan used purely to mislead or distract attention.

Words with a similar meaning

lurebaitdiversion

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “decoy”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.