plot device is not in our dictionary (yet). Here's what it could mean:
Confidence: high
Results generated using artificial intelligence.
noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The shoe brand’s signature Jibbitz charms become a key plot device when the protagonist, a painfully single young professional named Lex, places them on her handsome neighbor’s Crocs to show her interest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
The Jeffrey Epstein case itself is no longer “real,” but a plot device to keep viewers tuning in to see what befalls the protagonist, in the manner of someone being voted off the island.
From Salon • Aug. 24, 2025
Thesaurus
Possible Synonyms
Words in our thesaurus
other words
- literary technique
- get-out-of-jail-free card
- narrative shortcut
- the thing that makes the story go
- storytelling element
Possible Antonyms
- thematic element
- character development
- deep lore
- the 'why' of the story
- organic storytelling
