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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ploy
The ploy broke a decades-long taboo in German politics.
—
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
And Gabriel Macht and Rick Hoffman on Suits LA is more of a curiosity ploy than a long-term maneuver.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
There seems to be an active ploy to hit the left wing.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Outscoring the opposition appears to be the chief ploy from here on in, with defensive injuries and (dis)organisation unlikely to be fixed short term.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
And Gabriel Macht and Rick Hoffman on Suits LA is more of a curiosity ploy than a long-term maneuver.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
There seems to be an active ploy to hit the left wing.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Outscoring the opposition appears to be the chief ploy from here on in, with defensive injuries and (dis)organisation unlikely to be fixed short term.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploy
Noun
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Frank This character doing all the heavy lifting to keep Rick’s ruse afloat and Sam Rockwell doing all the heavy lifting to keep this plot interesting: Thank you for your service, gentlemen.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
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This is, of course, a ruse to put Rick in the same room with Jim, who, according to his mother on her deathbed, killed his do-gooder dad.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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To tap into growing demand, but also support Marriott Bonvoy’s success in the country, Marriott has been on a development spree to grow its luxury brands in Brazil specifically.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Trump is on a firing spree: The Trump administration fired the director of the National Security Agency, his deputy and several other top NSA staffers Thursday.—
Cate Martel,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Detectives arrested a man accused in a lottery ticket stealing scheme that netted him and a partner thousands of dollars in winnings, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
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His chief adviser was also charged in state court with taking part in a separate bribery scheme.—
Jan Ransom,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Special content, tips, and tricks: Free digital access to the vast recipe archives of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, plus an in-depth video filmed in the test kitchen of one recipe from each box.—
The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
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So while the cutting hardware isn’t anything particularly new, eufy packs in a few software tricks that make its robot lawn mowers stand out.—
Anthony Karcz,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploy. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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