power play
noun
Football. an aggressive running play in which numerous offensive players converge and forge ahead to block and clear a path for the ball carrier.
Ice Hockey.
- a situation in which one team has a temporary numerical advantage because an opposing player or players are in the penalty box, and hence has an opportunity for a concerted, swarming attack on the opponent's goal.
- the offensive strategy or effectiveness of the team having such an advantage.
an action, stratagem, or maneuver, as in politics or business, by which power is concentrated or manipulated in order to subdue a rival or gain control of a situation.
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Origin of power play
First recorded in 1960–65
Words nearby power play
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for power play
power play
noun
behaviour or tactics intended to magnify a person's influence or power
the use of brute strength or force of numbers in order to achieve an objective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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