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 Barracuda went 0-for-3 on the power play and were largely stymied by Silver Knights goalie Carl Lindbom, who finished with 26 saves.
—
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
The Lightning were the only ones to take advantage of all the power plays, with Point scoring his first of the series to tie the game 1-1 in the first period and quiet the raucous Bell Centre crowd, at least temporarily, allowing Tampa Bay to settle into the game.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
McDavid trimmed the Oilers’ deficit with a fortunate deflection off Pavel Mintyukov’s stick, but the Oilers superstar short-circuited another power play later in the third by cross-checking Tyson Hinds.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Vegas went 0 of 4 on the power play while Utah converted its lone opportunity.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for power play
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Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
The Lightning were the only ones to take advantage of all the power plays, with Point scoring his first of the series to tie the game 1-1 in the first period and quiet the raucous Bell Centre crowd, at least temporarily, allowing Tampa Bay to settle into the game.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
McDavid trimmed the Oilers’ deficit with a fortunate deflection off Pavel Mintyukov’s stick, but the Oilers superstar short-circuited another power play later in the third by cross-checking Tyson Hinds.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Vegas went 0 of 4 on the power play while Utah converted its lone opportunity.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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