power play

noun

1
: a military, diplomatic, political, or administrative maneuver in which power is brought to bear
2
a
: a concentrated attack in football in which the ballcarrier is preceded by a mass of blockers
b
: a situation in ice hockey in which one team temporarily has more players on the ice than the other team because of a penalty

Examples of power play in a Sentence

They scored their first goal on a power play. He made a power play to seize control of the company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Wild outshot Vancouver in the first period and had the game’s initial power play but were frustrated by goaltender Kevin Lankinen for their second consecutive game against the Canucks’ backup netminder. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025 Nino Niederreiter sniped a corner shot on the power play as Hawks goalie Spencer Knight was screened by Morgan Barron. Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 Kevin Fiala scored twice on the power play, and Anže Kopitar and Quinton Byfield each had a goal and an assist. Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2025 The Washington Capitals left winger is now the all-time leading scorer in NHL history after scoring career goal No. 895 on a power play goal at 7:26 of the second period Sunday against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Long Island. Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for power play

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of power play was in 1947

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Power play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20play. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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