ploy

noun

ˈplȯi 

1

: escapade, frolic

2

a

: a tactic intended to embarrass or frustrate an opponent

b

: a devised or contrived move : stratagem

The story about being sick is just a ploy to get you to give her money.

… a ploy to get her to open the door?

—Robert B. Parker

Synonyms of ploy

• ruse
• scheme
• trick

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

This has to be a ploy, something Dwight’s planning far ahead, like a chess game. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Oct. 2026

California Democrats argue the move is a political ploy designed to suppress votes. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

This felt like another ploy from City to yet again prove that nothing is wrong, and everything will be totally okay. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

It has been pointed out that the anthropomorphization of AI is a ploy to endear us to a technology that may destroy humanity and the world, probably in that order. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from employ

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ploy

• counter-ploy
• marketing ploy

Rhymes for ploy

• boy
• choy
• coy
• croy
• foy
• hoi
• hoy
• joy
• loy
• oy
• soy
• toy

Kids Definition

ploy

noun

ˈplȯi 

: a trick designed to embarrass or upset an opponent