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
And Mackie Samoskevich scored on the power play in the third, with Sam Reinhart capping scoring with a five-on-five goal midway through the third.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Tomasek’s power play misses After Demko gloved his shot from the slot, David Tomasek bent over with his stick resting across his knees and bowed his head.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The Sharks and Ducks combined for nine goals, including four on the power play, and eight minor penalties through the first two periods, a reasonably accurate good indication that this was in the second game of the season for both teams.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025
Hakstol will be in charge of Colorado’s power play.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for power play
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Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Tomasek’s power play misses After Demko gloved his shot from the slot, David Tomasek bent over with his stick resting across his knees and bowed his head.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The Sharks and Ducks combined for nine goals, including four on the power play, and eight minor penalties through the first two periods, a reasonably accurate good indication that this was in the second game of the season for both teams.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025
Hakstol will be in charge of Colorado’s power play.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for power play
Cite this Entry
“Power play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20play. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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