Standard Lemma guide

ploy

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /plɔɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: P L OY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A tactic, strategy, or scheme.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: ruse, stratagem, device
  • The free T-shirt is really a ploy to get you inside to see their sales pitch.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ruse, stratagem, device

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Sport; frolic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, UK, countable, dialectal, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Employment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: deploy

5

noun

Meaning 5

a maneuver in a game or conversation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gambit, stratagem

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: maneuver, manoeuvre, tactical maneuver, tactical manoeuvre

6

noun

Meaning 6

an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gambit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: remark, comment, input

History

Etymology

Possibly from a shortened form of employ or deploy. Or from earlier ploye, from Middle English, borrowed from Middle French ployer (compare modern plier), from Latin plicāre.

Probably abbreviated from deploy.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: маневра (manevra) — strategy, tactic
  • Bulgarian: трик (trik) — strategy, tactic
  • Czech: trik — strategy, tactic
  • Czech: manévr — strategy, tactic
  • Czech: strategie — strategy, tactic
  • Czech: taktika — strategy, tactic
  • Dutch: kunstgreep — strategy, tactic
  • Dutch: strategie — strategy, tactic
  • Dutch: tactiek — strategy, tactic
  • French: truc — strategy, tactic
  • French: stratégie — strategy, tactic
  • French: tactique — strategy, tactic
  • French: stratagème — strategy, tactic
  • French: manigance — strategy, tactic
  • French: ruse — strategy, tactic
  • German: Trick — strategy, tactic
  • German: List — strategy, tactic
  • German: Masche — strategy, tactic
  • German: Manöver — strategy, tactic
  • Greek: τέχνασμα (téchnasma) — strategy, tactic
  • Korean: 꼼수 (kkomsu) — strategy, tactic
  • Māori: nuka — strategy, tactic
  • Māori: rauhanga — strategy, tactic
  • Māori: tiriki — strategy, tactic
  • Polish: chwyt — strategy, tactic
  • Portuguese: estratagema — strategy, tactic
  • Russian: уло́вка (ulóvka) — strategy, tactic
  • Spanish: táctica — strategy, tactic
  • Spanish: estrategia — strategy, tactic
  • Spanish: truco — strategy, tactic
  • Spanish: complot — strategy, tactic
  • Spanish: trafa — strategy, tactic
  • Swedish: trick — strategy, tactic
  • Swedish: knep — strategy, tactic
  • Turkish: hile — strategy, tactic
  • Ottoman Turkish: حیله (hile) — strategy, tactic
  • Ottoman Turkish: اورند (evrend) — strategy, tactic