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ploy

[ploi]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

a maneuver or stratagem, as in conversation, to gain the advantage.

verb (used with object)

Military Archaic. to move (troops) from a line into a column. Compare deploy.

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Ploy is one of our favorite verbs.

So is absquatulate. Does it mean:

to flee; abscond:

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

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verb (used without object)

Military Archaic. to move from a line into a column.

Origin:
1475–85; earlier ploye to bend < Middle French ployer (French plier) < Latin plicāre to fold, ply²; see deploy

Related forms

coun·ter·ploy, noun

Synonyms
1. tactic, ruse, subterfuge, wile, gambit.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To ploy

Example Sentences

But occasionally this ploy is appropriate and effective.

Corporate social responsibility today though is a mere marketing ploy to play to the consumer.

The ploy worked to draw out four eastern screech owls and nine barred owls.

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But occasionally this ploy is appropriate and effective.

Corporate social responsibility today though is a mere marketing ploy to play to the consumer.

The ploy worked to draw out four eastern screech owls and nine barred owls.

It could be probably a ploy to attract the attention of the public.

The fragile legs detach easily, probably as an escape ploy against attackers.

One theory among bankers is that the recent spate of layoffs may be a ploy to hold down demands for bonuses.

Though a prevalent ploy in nature, the fake-eye look isn't foolproof.

Apparently the industry has decided to deal with the issue using the name-game ploy.

Some see its release as a ploy to put an end to court cases against former military officers.

Revealing a hidden fact late in a campaign is a common ploy to damage an opponent beyond recovery before an election.

Her opponents considered it a ploy to deflect criticism of her administration.

Cycling teams have been running this ploy for some time to no effect.

But some reckon that this is a ploy to put pressure on all parties to conclude a deal speedily.

Some people thought that the low level of voter registration was a ploy to discourage participation.

It is easy to see why this is such an appealing ploy.

Many university lecturers plump for a variant of the teachers' private-lesson ploy.

In truth it is a shrewd, if shameless, ploy by a power couple who know that the value of their brand is tanking.

It's hard to see his stance as anything other than a cynical political ploy.

But don't get caught up in the megapixel race-a marketing ploy if ever there was one.

But challenging pre-game rhetoric was a ploy that had seemed unnecessary.

Blackbeard develops a ploy to capture other vessels without the official accusation of piracy.

And it might be the ploy that saves the toy industry.

His critics say his plan is a politician's ploy of offering something for nothing.

But some saw in this a ploy to put pressure on all parties to reach some sort of agreement.

The ploy of skimming avoids taxes on the gambling winnings.

Humanitarian intervention is not an imperialist ploy.

His contribution to the ploy is turning that threat against himself.

Rather it seems a ploy to divert attention from his mounting difficulties at home.

Exploiting their misery was a theatrical ploy beyond decency.

Such economic populism may merely be a ploy to win over an electorate that has long been averse to the market.

The ploy succeeded, because none of the accountants appreciated its significance until it was too late.

China's alternative ploy is to promote the yuan's use in international trade and finance.

If they decide they have nothing to lose, this ploy could now turn out to be a weakness.

Its either that or some middle road ploy to a an effective dictatorship eg.

Whatever the story, religions all follow the same basic marketing ploy.

And flag pins are a cheap little ploy by people who are actually screwing you the voter over.

It is, in fact, the sort of obvious ploy that any cognizant adult would expect and will be watching for.

Certainly seem to have have copied the show-trial ploy to stifle the opposition.

The ploy is more posturing on an issue that has already seen too much grandstanding.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

ploy (plɔɪ)

—n
1.	a manoeuvre or tactic in a game, conversation, etc; stratagem; gambit
2.	any business, job, hobby, etc, with which one is occupied: angling is his latest ploy
3.	chiefly (Brit) a frolic, escapade, or practical joke

[C18: originally Scot and northern English, perhaps from obsolete n sense of employ meaning an occupation]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ploy

1722, "anything with which one amuses oneself," Scottish and northern England dialect, possibly a shortened form of employ or deploy. Popularized in the sense "move or gambit made to gain advantage" by British humorist Stephen Potter (1900-1969).

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Matching Quote

"Seducing one's neighbor to a good opinion and then afterwards believing devoutly in this neighbor's opinion—who can match women in this clever ploy?"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

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