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 goal was the 24th of the season with a man advantage for the Kings, who rank last in the NHL on the power play.
—
Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The Canucks missed the net four times on shot attempts during the power play, but Askarov also made three saves during the 5-on-3, and defensemen Mario Ferraro and Vincent Desharnais each came up with a big block to keep the Sharks up by three.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Kings were awarded a power play a minute later when Jacob Bernard-Docker was whistled for slashing, and the visitors didn’t waste the chance.
—Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Mikael Granlund, who scored a hat trick on the power play in a loss to Edmonton on Monday, will skate for Finland.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for power play
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The Canucks missed the net four times on shot attempts during the power play, but Askarov also made three saves during the 5-on-3, and defensemen Mario Ferraro and Vincent Desharnais each came up with a big block to keep the Sharks up by three.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Kings were awarded a power play a minute later when Jacob Bernard-Docker was whistled for slashing, and the visitors didn’t waste the chance.
—Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Mikael Granlund, who scored a hat trick on the power play in a loss to Edmonton on Monday, will skate for Finland.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for power play
Cite this Entry
“Power play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20play. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
