Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An action calculated to frustrate an opponent or gain an advantage indirectly or deviously; a maneuver: "A typical ploy is to feign illness, procure medicine, then sell it on the black market” ( Jill Smolowe).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Employment.
- n. A harmless frolic; a merrymaking.
- Milit., to move from line into column: the opposite of deploy.
Wiktionary
- n. A tactic, strategy, or gimmick.
- v. military To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Prov. Eng. & Scot. Sport; frolic.
- v. (Mil.) To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision; -- the opposite of
deploy .
WordNet 3.0
- n. a maneuver in a game or conversation
- n. an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker
Etymologies
- Probably abbreviated from deploy. (Wiktionary)
- Perhaps from employ, employment (obsolete). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Some of the candidates running against incumbent PDP governors also say they're not allowed to place adverts and programs on state media, which they call a ploy to deny them access to the public.”
Voice of America: Nigerian Opposition Candidates Complain About Meeting Place Restrictions
“Then it dawned on me; this ploy is the latest twist on the old Nigerian email scam.”
The Huffington Post: Harmon Leon: For the Love of Viagra Spam and the 419 Email Scam
“Using strategies as a political ploy is one thing, but the ONLY reason that they are turning on Crist is he took the stimulus money to help the citizens of Florida!”
“The "fire at St. Louis destroyed my records," ploy is not valid, either.”
“The "I can't compromise classified information," ploy is phony.”
“The "I had my records expunged" - or "I had my name taken off the list" ploy is just as phony.”
“The, 'I can't compromise classified information,' ploy is phony," he said.”
“It was a long time ago, ploy is weak and unacceptable.”
“The biggest flaw with the cycletrack idea, besides it probably being a ploy, is that there are too many intersections on their suggested route.”
Ballard Businesses Propose Missing Link Alternative « PubliCola
“More than likely a ploy from the vast left-wing conspiracy to spread misinfromation to the masses.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘ploy’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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POL - scandalous (words and collocati...
Words and collocations associated with political scandal
blow the whistle, boo, cronyism and rigging, democratic deficit, denigrate, dirty linen, fiasco, finger pointing a..., graft, hidden account, hush money, illicit financing... and 578 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1847 more...
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Favorites
disparage, partisan, cupidity, hokum, tussle, odious, dastardly, overture, plane, chronic, peering, peer and 328 more...
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Chennessy's Words
philistine, messianic, dyad, cult, bourgeois, blot, ploy, polyglot, lingua franca, cumbersome, lumber, petit-bourgeois and 446 more...
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anotherfailedattempt's Words
kakistocracy, conflagration, pollyanna, equanimity, punctillious, obstreperous, ribald, belligerent, truculent, verbose, lachrymose, onanism and 278 more...
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Loaded Dice
Off the straight and narrow; less than straight arrow.
chicanery, sophistry, pilfer, rook, diddle, fleece, grift, poach, rustle, pinch, abscond, steal and 140 more...
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From Book - SAT & College Dictionary ...
ebb, exotic, immure, abeyance, panegyric, debonair, protege, dissipate, frantic, penitent, abject, edify and 871 more...
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Kavitha's Words
avarice, mellow, mahogany, serendipity, plush, vengeance, catalyst, plausible, penury, meticulous, sarcastic, ninja and 100 more...
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What Do You Mean @
What Abt these ... :)
somber, self effacing, conundrum, outlandish, mesmerize, endemic, shelve, fledgling, acolyte, absurd, rampant, narcissist and 163 more...
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5-0
Hecko, words! I’m so happy I’ve found you. I want to keep you all and never want to lose you again. I hope you like it here.
amscray, thistledown, tine, tinsel, pungent, snarl, wail, lanky, viscid, dawdle, luminous, stow and 2719 more...
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New GRE Preparation List
All the words which I encounter during my GRE studies. :)
rhetoric, errant, arrant, artless, artful, ephemeral, libel, rhapsody, cloy, conjecture, relegate, aberrant and 927 more...
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ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
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Words Words and more Words
ruckus, bustle, ominous, odious, abominable, atrocious, appal, abysmal, dismal, calamity, debacle, fiasco and 231 more...
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the hotlist
short, sweet, epic, catchy, sassy, sexy & sizzling.
( personal list, randomness )
more:
http://www.wordnik.com/lists/...zing, epic, win, fail, hot, warp, times, clip, onyx, wonky, pwn, leet and 1493 more...
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"I've got a cunning plan!"
Words Baldrick might have used instead.
ploy, scheme, strategem, wile, grift, trick, manipulation, con, swindle, tactic, gambit, maneuver and 14 more...
Tweets
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