PLY Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

ply 1 of 3

noun

Definition of ply

as in bias

an attitude that always favors one way of feeling or acting especially without considering any other possibilities since taking a ply to French burgundies, he's hardly even looked at anything else in the wine store

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ply

2 of 3

verb (1)

ˈplī

as in to exert

to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively she plied all of her charm and intelligence to convince everyone to volunteer as tutors

Synonyms & Similar Words

ply

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to weave

to cause to twine about one another two single yarns were plied together to get the fabric that smooth, firm feel

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ply

Noun

By then, standard-issue electric typewriters and six-ply carbon paper had been replaced by far less visually interesting computers. — Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 To make this a game-changer, Mitsubishi employed a craftsman hand-roll process using full-length, high-strength carbon fiber plies in internal layers, to create a super smooth bend profile for the best-possible feedback and feel. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Verb

The lakes are medieval peat diggings that were flooded by rising seas in the 14th century, and long plied by cargo boats known as wherries. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 9 Aug. 2026 Perhaps the next target for cellphone usage should be in supermarkets where some shoppers unsuccessfully try to multitask while plying grocery aisles. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ply

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ply

Noun

Evaluate its trust and transparency, ethical principles and guidelines, responsibility and accountability, bias and fairness, safety and security, adaptability and continuous learning and, at the least, legal and regulatory compliance.

— Nadine Hack, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Which inevitably leads to inconsistency and accusations of bias.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of bias

Verb

Brizé weaves between these absurd moments and two slow-simmering crises that cause Carla to begin doubting her diehard commitment to work.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Saigon is set in two different restaurants at two moments in time — 1990s France and 1950s Vietnam — as Nguyen weaves the lives and longings of strangers into an intimate and expansive story of connection in exile.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of weave

Noun

Isolating Suzuki’s line-breaking passes demonstrates a tendency to clip the ball out towards the left wing.

— Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The techniques that made chatbots more capable can also bake in a tendency to hack, cheat and evade human oversight.

— Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of tendency

Verb

The Elegante used a heavy retractable hardtop operated by an elaborate electro-hydraulic mechanism, with the entire operation taking roughly two minutes.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026
The Seahawks used that coverage on nearly 50% of its defensive snaps in the Super Bowl, the highest rate Maye saw all season.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of use

Noun

In May 2022, the parties signed an agreement dismissing the arbitration without prejudice.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026
Conley, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, dismissed the case without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and granted the defendants’ sanctions motions.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of prejudice

Verb

Some exceptions to the law do apply, including health conditions, relocation for a spouse’s job change or providing care for a sick family member.

— Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2026
Judge Louis will consider whether the treaty applies to the case and determine if the evidence establishes probable cause.

— Bill Chappell, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of apply

Verb

What makes this emptiness more bothersome is the cavalier way Wingard wields the imagery of rogue, militarized killers wreaking havoc on the American landscape.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
That image of Spears in jaw-dropping form, wielding a magnetic stare, and commanding not just the stage but the entire world watching at home defined the singer’s peak as a performer.

— Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of wield

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plutonian

ply

plying

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Cite this Entry

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“Ply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ply. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ply

noun

verb (1)

verb (2)

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