ploy

American  

[ploi] / plɔɪ /

noun

• ploys
  plural

1. a maneuver or stratagem, as in conversation, to gain the advantage.

   Synonyms:

   gambit, wile, subterfuge, ruse, tactic

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verb (used with object)

1. Military Archaic. to move (troops) from a line into a column.

verb (used without object)

1. Military Archaic. to move from a line into a column.

ploy British  

/ plɔɪ /

noun

1. a manoeuvre or tactic in a game, conversation, etc; stratagem; gambit

2. any business, job, hobby, etc, with which one is occupied

   angling is his latest ploy

3. a frolic, escapade, or practical joke

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterploy
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ploys
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ploy ploys

Then again, the ploy worked for only a little while.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

Others have suggested that Anthropic’s warnings about the dangerous potential of its own tools could also be considered a marketing ploy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Or were their outrageous takes simply a ploy to boost ratings?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

“I feel like it was a ploy to get his ballroom that he wants, and that’s his reason,” one explained.

From Salon ● May 13, 2026

Such an obvious ploy, that, yet deft for a boy of fifteen.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

But if you’re older and your baseline anxiety and stress level is already high, you’re more apt to react emotionally to fraudsters’ ploys.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

These ploys can be convincing because they involve a lot of genuine information and avoid many of the red flags we’re used to looking for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

All were ploys with more moving parts and increased risk of going wrong.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

Their poverty, the fruit of Salieri’s malicious ploys, tests the limits of their endurance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

In his glory days, Carpenter elevated the ploys and chicanery of his trade to a devilish art.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• device
• maneuver
• ruse
• scheme
• stratagem
• subterfuge
• tactic