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
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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 provoked personal blowback, including allegations of domestic abuse, which Magyar denied.
—
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Within days of the interview, which was perceived in part as a ploy for clemency by Maxwell, she was moved to a minimum-security camp in Texas.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The Thing’s appearance was also a ploy to spark buzz for the upcoming season of the hit series.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
The Thing’s first pitch was a ploy to spark buzz for the upcoming season of Wednesday.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Within days of the interview, which was perceived in part as a ploy for clemency by Maxwell, she was moved to a minimum-security camp in Texas.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The Thing’s appearance was also a ploy to spark buzz for the upcoming season of the hit series.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
The Thing’s first pitch was a ploy to spark buzz for the upcoming season of Wednesday.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploy
Noun
-
However, the latter is revealed to be a ruse on the part of the trickster god.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
-
While sustaining the ruse for months, Ale arranged with an expectant young mother who didn’t want her child to take that woman’s newborn as her own.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That spending spree pulled their 2026 payroll all the way up to 22nd in baseball.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
-
May her killing spree run forever!—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Except this time, with a new head coach, new offensive and defensive schemes, new selflessness and trust in each other, the Knicks look better.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
In the grand scheme of things, that is the blink of a marmoset’s eye.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Many of his later programs have been capped by a coda in which the tricks of the trade are laid bare—no trick being more vital than that of extreme patience, with camera operators waiting days, or even weeks, for the right cub, or pup, or fledgling, or froglet, to show up.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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There is not a whole lot to chuckle about these days, and her column does the trick for me every week.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploy. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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