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
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.
Ford has said it plans to deploy at least 20 GWh of storage products a year and aims to begin shipping out its energy-storage products to some customers in late 2027.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
The Dutch firm would deploy its advanced lithography tools in the plant, which allow for the rapid mass production of high-tech microchips, found in everything from cars to mobile phones.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
Brookfield plans to combine with its insurance business as it streamlines its corporate structure to improve flexibility and its ability to deploy capital.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
SAP is rolling out a new Autonomous Enterprise offering that combines an AI platform with an autonomous suite to help clients process their data and deploy AI agents to automate tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
New skills to deploy on my parents in our next face-to-face confrontation.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
