1
2
a
: a tactic intended to embarrass or frustrate an opponent
b
: a devised or contrived move : stratagem
a ploy to get her to open the doorRobert B. Parker

Examples of ploy in a Sentence

Her story about being sick is only a ploy to get you to give her money. asking me to take her shopping turned out to be a ploy to get me to the surprise party
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.
Their good cop-bad cop ploy doesn’t seem to be particularly convincing or even fear-inspiring to the suspects of the congregation. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025 Di Costanzo says the mix of languages was a deliberate ploy. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 The basic facts are that Tony bought a piece of land with a commitment from a grocery company intending to lease the property to build a supermarket; Kiritzis claimed that Meridian then actively deterred renters after realizing the value of the land and squeezed him dry in a ploy to buy it back. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025 Ballard convinced Navy officials to build in some time to search for the Titanic during the expedition to survey the submarines, a ploy that ultimately acted as a cover story for the Navy’s secret mission. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ploy

Word History

Etymology

probably from employ

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ploy was in 1697

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ploy. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

ploy

noun
: a trick designed to embarrass or upset an opponent

More from Merriam-Webster on ploy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!