deploy
Americanverb (used with object)
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Military. to spread out (troops) so as to form an extended front or line.
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to arrange in a position of readiness, or to move strategically or appropriately.
to deploy a battery of new missiles.
verb (used without object)
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to spread out strategically or in an extended front or line.
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to come into a position ready for use.
The plane can't land unless the landing gear deploys.
verb
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to adopt or cause to adopt a battle formation, esp from a narrow front formation
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(tr) to redistribute (forces) to or within a given area
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deploysimple
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deployssimple
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have deployedperfect
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has deployedperfect
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am deployingprogressive
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are deployingprogressive
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is deployingprogressive
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have been deployingperfect progressive
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has been deployingperfect progressive
Past
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deployedsimple
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had deployedperfect
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was deployingprogressive
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were deployingprogressive
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had been deployingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deploy
First recorded in 1470–80; from French déployer, equivalent to dé- prefix with negative force + ployer “to fold”; see dis- 1, ploy
Explanation
To deploy is to move into fighting formation, the way a military commander might deploy troops in preparation for a battle. You'll almost always find the word deploy in a military context. The Latin plicāre means "fold." By adding dis- to it, to get displicāre, we get the idea of an "unfolding," or distributing. This is the basis of the word deploy, and it gives us a good mental image of the sending out, or "unfolding," of troops in a military plan. To deploy means more than just dispersing troops, however — there is usually a specific formation in mind, consistent with military strategies. And you can deploy nonmilitary assets, too, like accounting teams before an IRS audit.
Vocabulary lists containing deploy
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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A Long Way Gone
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John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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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.
Deploy fans: Ceiling fans create a wind-chill effect that makes a room feel several degrees cooler, allowing you to set the thermostat higher.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
Deploy bourbon instead of rye, and it’s a Boulevardier.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2024
Deploy debiasing strategies: Clinicians should acknowledge that clinical assessments are cross-sectional snapshots perhaps influenced by mental shortcuts or emotions.
From Scientific American • Oct. 26, 2023
Deploy the full extent of the technology that is available to eliminate waste and maximize efficiency.
From Salon • Dec. 23, 2022
Deploy to the left and fire at will.
From The Campaign of the Jungle or, Under Lawton through Luzon by Stratemeyer, Edward
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.
