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.
That ploy, initiated in 2022 by former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, was criticized then by now–U.S.
From Barron's • May 22, 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
"Mr Young's attempt to blame certain world events for our termination of the agreement is merely a ploy to distract from his own defaults and failures."
From BBC • May 13, 2026
After her latest ploy for attention, will there be anyone left who believes former Fox anchor Megyn Kelly stands for something other than her own brand?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
“Is this some kind of ploy for attention? Are you trying to get back at me for something?”
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
