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
And then there’s that power play, which has been rolling since Marc Savard was fired shortly before Christmas.
—
Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Florida started the third period on a power play, but could not solve Woll.
—Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Minnesota had two power plays in the period, but had just one shot during the advantages.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Hartman scored on the power play, the first in six man advantage situations on Monday.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for power play
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Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Florida started the third period on a power play, but could not solve Woll.
—Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Minnesota had two power plays in the period, but had just one shot during the advantages.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Hartman scored on the power play, the first in six man advantage situations on Monday.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 6 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 8 Jan. 2026.
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