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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in spree
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
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 ploy
The ploy broke a decades-long taboo in German politics.
—
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
And Gabriel Macht and Rick Hoffman on Suits LA is more of a curiosity ploy than a long-term maneuver.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
There seems to be an active ploy to hit the left wing.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Outscoring the opposition appears to be the chief ploy from here on in, with defensive injuries and (dis)organisation unlikely to be fixed short term.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
And Gabriel Macht and Rick Hoffman on Suits LA is more of a curiosity ploy than a long-term maneuver.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
There seems to be an active ploy to hit the left wing.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Outscoring the opposition appears to be the chief ploy from here on in, with defensive injuries and (dis)organisation unlikely to be fixed short term.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ploy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploy
Noun
-
Richie buys Harry's ruse regarding Tommy's murder, but there's a catch.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
The wedding started as an elaborate three-way ruse concocted by Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese American man; his white boyfriend, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein); and Wei-Wei, an undocumented Chinese immigrant.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Simone Biles Knows Something About Victory Biles is coming off a record-setting spree in 2024 after winning four Olympic medals at the Paris Games, bringing her total medal count to 11 with seven gold, two silver and two bronze.—
Kasey Nelson,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
In addition to Sacramento, the group robbed banks and credit unions in Vallejo, Suisun City, Benicia, Concord and Antioch in a spree that began in June of 2023 and continued through September 2024, the agreement shows.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Nearly 30 years ago California legislators faced a test of their integrity in voting for an electricity deregulation scheme that ratepayers are still paying for.—
Jamie Court,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
And perhaps the most frustrating and ironic aspect about these potential cuts is that in the scheme of the U.S. government’s overall budget, Mars gets much more of the planetary science budget than Venus.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The company, which sells hot and iced coffee, tea, shakes, as well as burritos and tacos, also hosts classes to teach dogs tricks.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Dimbleby’s age, far from a liability, feels like a magic trick—rare is the podcast host in 2025 who can casually weave socioeconomics together with personal memories of the Second World War.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ploy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploy. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share