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
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.
Tungsupakul, who goes by the nickname Ploy, became an integral part of the production team.
From New York Times • Aug. 5, 2022
The Trollope Ploy was simple: that the U.S. accept Khrushchev’s first proposal while barely acknowledging receipt of the second.
From Scientific American • Aug. 6, 2019
"If the most well-informed citizens are not willing to act, what hope do we have of averting climate catastrophe?" asks Pattanun "Ploy" Achakulwisut, a PhD student in atmospheric science.
From Scientific American • Sep. 20, 2014
Ploy No. 4: "You made me do it."
From Time Magazine Archive
"I feel sorry for them," whispered Ploy, slipping her fingers into Nok's hand.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
