deploy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
deploys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deployed,
past participle, past
-
deploying
present participle
-
Military. to spread out (troops) so as to form an extended front or line.
-
to arrange in a position of readiness, or to move strategically or appropriately.
to deploy a battery of new missiles.
verb (used without object)
-
deploys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deployed,
past participle, past
-
deploying
present participle
-
to spread out strategically or in an extended front or line.
-
to come into a position ready for use.
The plane can't land unless the landing gear deploys.
verb
-
to adopt or cause to adopt a battle formation, esp from a narrow front formation
-
(tr) to redistribute (forces) to or within a given area
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
deploysimple
-
deployssimple
-
have deployedperfect
-
has deployedperfect
-
am deployingprogressive
-
are deployingprogressive
-
is deployingprogressive
-
have been deployingperfect progressive
-
has been deployingperfect progressive
Past
-
deployedsimple
-
had deployedperfect
-
was deployingprogressive
-
were deployingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Long Way Gone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Banks can then deploy tailored retention tactics such as personalized offers or proactive notifications.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
"And the advice we give to countries is to be very careful of how they deploy their very limited fiscal capacity," she said, adding that some countries may be forced "to rely on external financing".
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The companies said they planned to deploy these systems starting in the second half of 2026 through the end of 2029.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Meanwhile, now that the bombers have left British soil, the US insists it can still deploy them from its domestic bases anywhere in the world.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
We also see how the leader of a modern state would seek a more reliable way to deploy muscle to advance its interests, namely by developing a well-trained modern army.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
“Because management deploys capital into both public equities and owning entire businesses, analyst earnings estimates understate how cheap the company is.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
With him is Jaime Castaneda, a longtime manager, trusted counterman and one of the secret weapons Langer deploys to ensure the deli’s famous pastrami is hand-cut with speed and precision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
He called on the United States, European Union and Arab countries to support Lebanon's military as it deploys across the country.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
His aides provide him with live intelligence about Russian attacks and he deploys his teams, balancing their potential operational success against risk to life or limb.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
She leaps from her perch, deploys a tiny parachute, and executes a soft landing—straddling the thrumming ray gun as if it was a bucking bronco.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
He said the ship deployed with five chaplains and a well-staffed mental health team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
A bomb disposal unit was deployed and a nearby village evacuated, but police found no explosives at the scene.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Tesla deployed 13.7 gigawatt-hours of battery storage in the third quarter, up from 12.5 gigawatt-hours a year earlier.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Mistral said it had trained its new model on about 4,000 Nvidia Grace Blackwell graphics processing units deployed at its own data centers in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
"Commander Lewis probably ordered them deployed during the evac. Not a bad idea. Have the emergency shelters ready in case the MAV didn't work and the Hab breached."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
This fall, graduate student Wyatt Hall is deploying motion-activated wildlife cameras across the burros’ habitat to help track and count the population.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Capturing and using that data is even more critical when deploying AI agents, according to Vikrant Bhan, Nestlé’s chief data and AI officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“As AI moves from concept to real-world usage across both enterprise and consumer environments, investors appear increasingly willing to reward companies viewed as leaders in deploying and operationalizing AI at scale,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Beijing's focus is more about deploying the technology across its economy, China analyst Lizzi Lee from the Asia Society Policy Institute said.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Principal Wombat is just deploying her resources like any good General would,” Alicia said.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
