ploy

noun

ˈplȯi How to pronounce ploy (audio)
Synonyms of ploy
1
: escapade, frolic
2
a
: a tactic intended to embarrass or frustrate an opponent
b
: a devised or contrived move : stratagem
The story about being sick is just a ploy to get you to give her money.
… a ploy to get her to open the door?—Robert B. Parker

Synonyms of ploy

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Examples of ploy in a Sentence

Her story about being sick is only a ploy to get you to give her money. asking me to take her shopping turned out to be a ploy to get me to the surprise party
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Of course someone who works as a bridesmaid for hire would go for a fake-dating ploy! — Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 19 June 2026 This might be a clever ploy by AI makers or evildoers. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 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 In what prosecutors believe was a ploy to keep her boyfriend Wade Griffin, Parker pretended to be pregnant with their child. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ploy

Word History

Etymology

probably from employ

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ploy was in 1722

Phrases Containing ploy

Rhymes for ploy

See All Rhymes for ploy

Browse Nearby Words

plowwright
ploy
pls
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Cite this Entry

“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ploy. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ploy

noun
ˈplȯi How to pronounce ploy (audio)
: a trick designed to embarrass or upset an opponent

More from Merriam-Webster on ploy

Nglish: Translation of ploy for Spanish Speakers

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