ploy
noun
a maneuver or stratagem, as in conversation, to gain the advantage.
ploys
-
pluralof ploy.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
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
All were ploys with more moving parts and increased risk of going wrong.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
That stunt is also one of TV’s grandest examples of why such ploys can backfire.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2025
The texts are ploys to get unsuspecting victims to fork over their credit-card details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
“No,” she agrees, and for this moment at least we are cronies, this could be a kitchen table, it could be a date we’re discussing, some girlish stratagem of ploys and flirtation.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
