1
as in ruses
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in sprees
a time or instance of carefree fun
wanted one grand ploy through Europe before settling down and raising a family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ploys
Lyman Ward played Ferris' dad, whose busy work schedule kept him conveniently distracted from his teenage son's ploys.
—
Emma Urdangen, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
No tactical ploys or tweaks could save him.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 25 May 2026
While court orders that block counterfeiters can help to safeguard intellectual property, sometimes those counterfeiters simply turn to other aliases and cybersquatting ploys to continue their activities.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2026
After several unsuccessful ploys by his henchmen to save his life — including one that would be attempted post-hanging — Cardinella was down to one last try.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
There’s the White House and its malicious megaphone of mindlessness; the generative AI advocates and their pushy, pathetic ploys; the Major League Baseball owners and their dedication to self-destruction.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Their poverty, the fruit of Salieri’s malicious ploys, tests the limits of their endurance.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There are numerous other bold characters getting tangled up in new ploys aimed at giving them a step up in a world that wants to keep them tamped down.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Carr throws the event, Liberty shows up with bagpipers, but both ploys fall flat with Dina.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Emma Urdangen, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
No tactical ploys or tweaks could save him.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 25 May 2026
While court orders that block counterfeiters can help to safeguard intellectual property, sometimes those counterfeiters simply turn to other aliases and cybersquatting ploys to continue their activities.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2026
After several unsuccessful ploys by his henchmen to save his life — including one that would be attempted post-hanging — Cardinella was down to one last try.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
There’s the White House and its malicious megaphone of mindlessness; the generative AI advocates and their pushy, pathetic ploys; the Major League Baseball owners and their dedication to self-destruction.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Their poverty, the fruit of Salieri’s malicious ploys, tests the limits of their endurance.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There are numerous other bold characters getting tangled up in new ploys aimed at giving them a step up in a world that wants to keep them tamped down.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Carr throws the event, Liberty shows up with bagpipers, but both ploys fall flat with Dina.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploys
Noun
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They are accused of using several ruses to force their way into people’s homes, assaulting unsuspecting residents and holding them hostage for their own money, and demanding access to their crypto accounts.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Kids will quickly see through her ruses.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Singer Bradley Nowell drunk-steered his band through sordid anthems, crashing through references to classic ska and dancehall songs, shouting out Rudimentary Peni and Geto Boys, and re-setting the murder ballads and drug sprees of outlaw country in suburban California.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
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The surge in pink slips started in 2023, when companies that had gone on hiring sprees during the COVID-19 pandemic began to cut back.—
Lily Wright,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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According to the police report, a woman also reportedly claimed to be a victim of one of Chen's check-cashing schemes, alleging that she was scammed out of $40,000 after Chen wrote her bad checks from a man's account, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
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Madigan, meanwhile, was convicted in a separate trial of an array of schemes that included the ComEd bribery payments.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The Big Think website has been optimized to work with all major browsers and devices.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 June 2026
-
Numerous guests were reportedly secured in harnesses and fall protection and then transitioned onto aerial devices.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Noun
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One of my nerdiest hip-hop fan instincts is trying to catch the subtle ways production tricks and flows migrate from one city to the next, like an invasive species.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
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One of his greatest joys was performing magic tricks alongside his granddaughter.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ploys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploys. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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