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

The ploy worked well, with the leaders having to wait until the 81st minute for a first effort on target, which Vipotnik fired straight at goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Uthmeier’s deputy chief of staff, Jeremy Redfern, told the Herald/Times that the letter is nothing more than a campaign ploy. — Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

The post was actually just a ploy to get more people to listen to the song. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026

Supporters of the administration view this back and forth as a cunning ploy to buy time for the United States to position itself more advantageously for a confrontation. — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 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