1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
asking me to take her shopping turned out to be a ploy to get me to the surprise party
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2
as in spree
a time or instance of carefree fun
wanted one grand ploy through Europe before settling down and raising a family
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Recent Examples of ploy
Ars Video The ploy—called the Sterile Insect Technique—throws a wrench into the unique life cycle of screwworms.
—
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025
His Canadian ploy was not salutary or deliberate, and the justifications that were marshaled in its defense made no sense either for him or for the United States.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025
The sham lawsuit was nothing more than a transparent ploy to obtain subpoena power.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
But critics have questioned whether the efforts are merely ploys for Trump’s attention, including the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute (EPI), which published a damning review of the efforts earlier this month.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025
His Canadian ploy was not salutary or deliberate, and the justifications that were marshaled in its defense made no sense either for him or for the United States.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025
The sham lawsuit was nothing more than a transparent ploy to obtain subpoena power.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
But critics have questioned whether the efforts are merely ploys for Trump’s attention, including the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute (EPI), which published a damning review of the efforts earlier this month.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploy
Noun
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Can Charity, who is not exactly mentally stable, maintain the ruse forever?—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
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Despite multiple interviews, background checks, and reference calls, the ruse held until malware activity triggered an alert.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Cruise plays a hit man, Vincent, who forces his cabdriver, played by Jamie Foxx, to drive him around Los Angeles on a contract-killing spree.—
Tyler Foggatt,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
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Rather than earn its namesake by using said freedom to go on a killing spree, Murderbot decides to just… quietly binge TV shows.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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That includes knowing the scheme in the run game, being violent at the point of attack.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
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The scheme was investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Rea allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings, improving to 4-0 with another no-flash performance that did the trick.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
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Label tricks, regional cues and color considerations for better picking at the wine shop.—
Rachel King,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploy. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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