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
On Thursday night, Heise assisted on all three of Murphy’s goals, two of which came on the power play, and scored one herself just 13 seconds after Canada took a 1-0 lead.
—
Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The power play is the one area where the Avs have not been dominant, but the talent and a years-long track record suggests regression to the norms is coming.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
After all, the tension between these planets can stir up emotional confrontations, magnetic attractions and psychological power plays.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Josephson was used in nearly every situation for UND last weekend — 5-on-5, power play, penalty kill, 6-on-5 and 3-on-3.
—Brad Elliott Schlossman, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for power play
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Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The power play is the one area where the Avs have not been dominant, but the talent and a years-long track record suggests regression to the norms is coming.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
After all, the tension between these planets can stir up emotional confrontations, magnetic attractions and psychological power plays.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Josephson was used in nearly every situation for UND last weekend — 5-on-5, power play, penalty kill, 6-on-5 and 3-on-3.
—Brad Elliott Schlossman, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
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 14 Nov. 2025.
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