Meaning & use
decoy
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person, object or plan used to draw attention away from something or to lead someone into a trap.
Grammar: Countable: a decoy, two decoys. Often followed by for or used before a noun: a decoy car.
Patterns
- a decoy for something
- use someone as a decoy
The thieves sent a noisy truck as a decoy while the real shipment left by the back road.
Police used an officer as a decoy to catch the pickpocket.
The email was a decoy meant to hide the real attack.
nouncountablespecialist
A model or live bird used by hunters to attract wild birds close enough to be seen or caught.
Grammar: Countable and often used in the phrase duck decoy.
Patterns
- a duck decoy
- set out decoys
The hunter set wooden decoys on the pond at dawn.
Painted duck decoys can be valuable collector's items.
A live decoy called the wild birds into the net.
verbtransitive
To lead someone or something away or into danger by using a lure.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with into or away: decoy the guards away.
Patterns
- decoy someone into something
- decoy someone away
The rebels decoyed the soldiers away from the bridge.
Sailors were decoyed onto the rocks by false lights.
He tried to decoy the dog into the yard with a treat.
Word forms
| plural | decoys |
|---|---|
| third person singular | decoys |
| past tense | decoyed |
| -ing form | decoying |
Common combinations
- serve as a decoy
- The empty van served as a decoy for the real convoy.
- use a decoy
- The army used a decoy to mislead the enemy.
- decoy duck
- He carved a decoy duck for his brother.
- decoy plan
- The decoy plan kept the guards busy.
- decoy email
- Security staff sent a decoy email to catch the scammer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lure
- A lure is anything that attracts, such as bait, whereas a decoy is specifically set up to draw attention or tempt someone away.
- bait
- Bait is the food or attraction on a hook or trap, while a decoy may be a fake figure or a distraction plan.
- diversion
- A diversion is any action that draws attention away, but need not involve a fake object or a trap.
- red herring
- A red herring is a misleading clue in an argument or story, whereas a decoy is used in action.
Word family
- decoyed verb
- past form meaning lured away
- decoy duck noun
- a model duck used by hunters
- decoyman noun
- a person who manages decoys (rare)
Commonly confused: decoy or decay? decoy or decoy vs. ploy?
decoy vs decay
Decay means to rot or slowly break down, and the words only look alike.
decoy vs decoy vs. ploy
A ploy is a clever move to get an advantage, while a decoy is the actual thing used to lure or distract.
Practice
Why did the detectives park a car in front of the bank?
Choose one answer.
A decoy is used to mislead or distract. The other choices are not sensible uses of the word and decay is a different word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “decoy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.