ploy

/plɔɪ/

/plɔɪ/

Other forms: ploys

A ploy is a clever plan that helps you get what you want. A manipulative little girl might shed tears simply as a ploy to get her mother to buy her ice cream.

A politician might add amendments to a bill as a ploy to delay voting, or a hooligan might yell, "Fire!" in a movie theater as a ploy to sneak his friends in. A sneaky move in a game is a ploy, and sensational news about a celebrity can be just a ploy to get him more media attention. The first recorded use of ploy was in 1722, meaning "anything with which one amuses oneself" in Scottish and Northern English dialects.

Definitions of ploy

1. noun

   a maneuver in a game or conversation
   synonyms: gambit, stratagem

   type of:

   maneuver, manoeuvre, tactical maneuver, tactical manoeuvre

   a move made to gain a tactical end
2. noun

   an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker
   synonyms: gambit

   type of:

   comment, input, remark

   a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information