1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
asking me to take her shopping turned out to be a ploy to get me to the surprise party
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2
as in spree
a time or instance of carefree fun
wanted one grand ploy through Europe before settling down and raising a family
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ploy
Her husband went along with the ploy and could be seen reaching an arm out to save her, all while dressed in his Armani wedding tux.
—
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
As with all Survivor ploys, if the rules don’t explicitly forbid it — heck, get in there and work it to your advantage!
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
Morgan’s high-potential son uses this factoid as a ploy to get cookies before dinner.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Cats are far less trusting than dogs and rarely fall for the pill-in-the-treat ploy.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
As with all Survivor ploys, if the rules don’t explicitly forbid it — heck, get in there and work it to your advantage!
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
Morgan’s high-potential son uses this factoid as a ploy to get cookies before dinner.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Cats are far less trusting than dogs and rarely fall for the pill-in-the-treat ploy.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploy
Noun
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But the ruse hits a snag when Taylor's boss (Tia Mowry) starts to question Hugh Mann's credentials, and Taylor starts dating the son of the resort owner (New Amsterdam's Ryan Eggold).—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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My office was among those that were subjected to this ruse.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hawke is on a real spree this fall with a slew of high-profile projects hitting screens big and small.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
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Someone appears to have gone on a killing spree backstage, at a wrestling match.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His conviction stemmed from a series of criminal schemes, including submitting false campaign finance documents, misusing donor identities to route funds for personal and campaign use, and providing fraudulent information to the New York State Department of Labor and the House of Representatives.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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Doors and Window Frames in a Deep Shade The final component of Berkus’ three-color scheme is the deeper tone, often a darker shade of the wall color, used for doors or window frames.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The buckets are used as a replacement for the standard cardboard Happy Meal box and can double as a candy pail to use for trick-or-treating on Halloween.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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Add them to movie-night snacks, candy bowls, or trick-or-treat bags for a fun, not-too-frightening addition to your Halloween spread.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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