ploy
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a manoeuvre or tactic in a game, conversation, etc; stratagem; gambit
-
any business, job, hobby, etc, with which one is occupied
angling is his latest ploy
-
a frolic, escapade, or practical joke
Other Word Forms
- counterploy noun
Etymology
Origin of ploy
1475–85; earlier ploye to bend < Middle French ployer ( French plier ) < Latin plicāre to fold, ply 2; see deploy
Explanation
A ploy is a clever plan that helps you get what you want. A manipulative little girl might shed tears simply as a ploy to get her mother to buy her ice cream. A politician might add amendments to a bill as a ploy to delay voting, or a hooligan might yell, "Fire!" in a movie theater as a ploy to sneak his friends in. A sneaky move in a game is a ploy, and sensational news about a celebrity can be just a ploy to get him more media attention. The first recorded use of ploy was in 1722, meaning "anything with which one amuses oneself" in Scottish and Northern English dialects.
Vocabulary lists containing ploy
Into the Wild
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The Last Olympian
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Norse Mythology
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, the ploy has yet to bear dividends.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
The NBA's ploy to inject intensity into this weekend's All-Star Game with a new US-versus-the-world format has divided basketball's biggest superstars before a single slam dunk has been scored.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
As it turns out, that was exactly what made “One Mike” such a useful ploy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
It’s all been some ploy to get me up on stage to do a couple minutes.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025
At least I knew Miles well enough to understand that the look of frustration on his face wasn’t a ploy.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
