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

The similarities continued in the third period when Quinn scored the Sabres’ sixth goal on a power play, just as Demidov did in Game 5. —Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026

The hotel’s L’Oasis pool garden — hidden slightly farther inside the property away from the frenzy of the Croisette — mimics the show’s poolside power plays. —Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026

Kadri has helped the power play awake from a season-long slumber. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 14 May 2026

So, usually when a team’s power play winds down, their goalie will start banging his stick on the ice to let everyone on the ice know that a player is about to come out of the penalty box. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for power play

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway