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 Kings, whose scoring has declined in each of the last four seasons, had just 225 goals in 2025-26, fourth-fewest in the NHL, while the power play converted fewer than 18% of its chances, fifth-lowest in the league. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

The 24-year-old played more than ever last season but still managed a modest 24 goals and 49 points despite getting regular turns on the power play and penalty kill. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Samson and Sharma set a hectic pace as India raced to 82-0 in the power play. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

The power play looked like a potential thermal exhaust port in the Colorado Death Star for most of last season. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for power play

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway