Decoy and Ploy

Decoy

Decoy noun - Something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed.

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Ploy and decoy are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Ploy" instead a noun "Decoy".

Nearby Words: decoyed, decoying

Ploy noun - A clever often underhanded means to achieve an end.

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Decoy and ploy are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Decoy" instead a noun "Ploy".

Nearby Word: ployed

dead	dead decoy	dead ploy
obvious	obvious decoy	obvious ploy
effective	effective decoy	effective ploy
secret	secret decoy	secret ploy
Other adjectives: political, final, mere, intentional.

Still, no-one ever found out just who had attacked the decoy safehouse, and it was hinted that maybe the Fantastic Four did it themselves as a ploy to get their children back.

Source: Department of Child Disservices
Unfortunately for the Fantastic Four, no-one ever found out just who had attacked the decoy safehouse, and many accused them of doing it themselves in a ploy to get their children back.

Source: Ungrateful Bastard
Then they actually fall for the lame "put-a-hood-over-the-hostage's-head-to-conceal-that-he's-a-decoy" trick, despite attempting the same ploy themselves.

Source: The Family for the Whole Family

Cite this Source

Ploy and Decoy. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/decoy/ploy

Decoy & Ploy. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/decoy/ploy>.

Ploy or Decoy. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/decoy/ploy.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "decoy" and "ploy" have occurred on timeline