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 office also said the figures came from pursuing Paycheck Protection Program fraud, as well as romance scams and ploys that target older adults. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2026

Shea-Bouchard is a sleeping giant of a roster ploy, and Babcock badly needs to find some offence on the secondary lines. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

With the ploy, Achilles, 58, a former one-term Democratic state lawmaker, announced to voters that this wasn’t the typical run for federal office in Idaho versus a GOP standard-bearer. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

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