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 came just one second after a Florida power play expired.
—
Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
Columbus then failed to score on a 3-on-4 power play following Adam Pelech's tripping penalty on Miles Wood.
—CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Both teams had early, fruitless power plays, and both teams had scoring chances that just barely didn’t pan out.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
The clip, coming on the heels of last month’s teaser, positions Harper on a collision course with Yasmin (Marisa Abela), as the two frenemies find themselves on opposite aisles of power plays and psychosexual mind games.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for power play
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Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
Columbus then failed to score on a 3-on-4 power play following Adam Pelech's tripping penalty on Miles Wood.
—CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Both teams had early, fruitless power plays, and both teams had scoring chances that just barely didn’t pan out.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
The clip, coming on the heels of last month’s teaser, positions Harper on a collision course with Yasmin (Marisa Abela), as the two frenemies find themselves on opposite aisles of power plays and psychosexual mind games.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 2025.
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