PLYING Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

plying 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of ply

as in exerting

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

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plying

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of ply

as in weaving

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 plying

Verb

There is speculation, too, that Balenciaga, where creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli is plying his couture chops and returning the brand to its roots, might also be facing some changes. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Waymos started plying Denver’s streets less than a month ago. — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026 Now, Iran said a pair of oil tankers hit naval mines while plying the Strait of Hormuz. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 While Ferran headed to Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, veteran Lewandowski is now plying his trade in the MLS with the Chicago Fire. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 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 Like the other pros plying this particular trade, Cooper was capable of evoking distressing scenes with an untroubled matter-of-factness. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 In 2014, Andrew Tate began his pornographic webcamming empire, recruiting women by dating and plying them with gifts. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026 Hunte himself is a big draw; he's often reclined on the balcony of his wooden plantation house, plying guests with his own brand of rum—not for the faint of heart. — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plying

Verb

Bond yields in France, for example, ticked up to their highest levels since 2002 on Wednesday, exerting more pressure on government budgets.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Subsequent trials in the late 1960s and ’70s eventually proved its effectiveness, and the drug ultimately was recognized for exerting strong antipsychotic effects with virtually no adverse impacts on motor function.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of exerting

Verb

Combat sequences, set in the Pacific theater and filmed in Australia, look expansive and authentic, weaving around hundreds of soldiers running and shouting and shooting at once.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
The process was particularly intricate, as each interlacing detail on the bodice had to be carefully constructed by weaving hundreds of meters of rouleau and while maintaining the tension and precision of the corsetry underneath.

— Shelby Wax, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaving

Verb

All three said West Point appears to be circumventing the judge's ruling by using a different justification to continue to enforce its speech rules.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
How people are using agents Several themes are emerging from people testing agents in their personal and professional lives.

— Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of using

Verb

When glossy, spoon mixture into a sandwich bag, pushing the mixture to the corner of the bag and twisting the top of the bag to remove any excess air.

— Candy Hom, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The film’s pick-me jabs at humor are frankly, flatly unfunny and grating, twisting the film at times into a perverse, almost self-aware treatise on tweeness.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of twisting

Verb

Agarwal is effectively taking infrastructure developed around one of the most document-heavy and regulated consumer financial transactions and applying it to a wider collection of financial problems.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
There is a special difficulty in applying just-war theory to wars between a powerful military and an insurgent group.

— Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of applying

Verb

The iconic Overland Park Clock Tower now overlooks the district, where its farmers market welcomes thousands of tote-wielding shoppers.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
In the eastern Indian state of Bihar, landlords used club-wielding enforcers known as lathaits to keep Dalits, members of the most oppressed caste, out of polling booths.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of wielding

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ply

plying

plying (with)

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Style

“Plying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plying. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plying

verb (1)

verb (2)

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