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
Macfarlane’s history begins in 1971 when a young law scholar named Christopher Stone, seeing that his students were bored senseless by his efforts, tried a desperate ploy.
—
Daegan Miller
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
Democrats characterized it as another political ploy by Walters, widely viewed as a potential candidate for governor in 2026, at the expense of schoolchildren.
—Sean Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
Their ploy was copied and the ‘third back game’, as it was then known, became the standard system.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 June 2025
The kidnappers are Corsican nationalists who are executing their most dramatic ploy for liberation by keeping Séverine their hostage.
—Emily Temple
may 27, Literary Hub, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Daegan Miller
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
Democrats characterized it as another political ploy by Walters, widely viewed as a potential candidate for governor in 2026, at the expense of schoolchildren.
—Sean Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
Their ploy was copied and the ‘third back game’, as it was then known, became the standard system.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 June 2025
The kidnappers are Corsican nationalists who are executing their most dramatic ploy for liberation by keeping Séverine their hostage.
—Emily Temple
may 27, Literary Hub, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploy
Noun
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Barriers lifted in advance, Mellor and his French Resistance passengers hurtled through at 80mph leaving guards little chance of spotting the night-time ruse.—
Iain Macauley,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
The ruse, Smith suggested in her memoir, was employed successfully on at least one occasion.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Zuckerberg’s poaching spree is just the high-stakes version of a much older human truth: transformation is easier to imagine when someone close has already blazed the trail.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
The film sees Steamboat Willie’s first mate, Minnie, go on a killing spree when seeking revenge against the childhood bullies who tortured her as a teenager.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
30 June 2025
Noun
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And most recycling schemes are still small-scale, unable to keep up with the sheer volume of cheap and short-use clothing flowing through the system.—
Zoe Bayliss Wong,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Galeotti said these schemes can increase the national deficit and threaten the long-term viability of health care for seniors, individuals with disabilities and other citizens who need these programs.—
Jenna Sundel
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
One trick to capture slugs is to lay a board down next to a row crop and check the underside in the morning to gather the slugs.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
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Did any of those tips and tricks come in handy here?—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploy. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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